Gluttony
by MikroSouvlaki03
Summary: Eren Jaeger, your average 23-year-old young lad who works in a lounge café called Maria's Café, and leads a normal life. But, just like everyone else, Eren has some dark secrets that he rather keep for himself. Ever wondered what they were? [AU], [LevixEren, eventually], [Blood, Violence, Sexual Content]
1. Chapter 1

**Hello! Finally back with a new and different story of what I usually write. I still don't fully know where I am going with this, though I do have a vague idea about what the plot would be. **

**WARNINGS!: There will be blood in most of the chapters, as well as slash/sexual content between two male characters(eventually) and a lot of foul language. If any of these do not float your boat, I suggest not reading it at all. **

**Enjoy!**

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><p><em>Chapter 1.<em>

"Guys, let me introduce you to someone!" Eren Jaeger grinned, adressing his friends before him. He'd been more hyper than usual today, though maybe it was because of the good weather. No one could really tell, spring can bring unpredicted things into people's lives. It was right after Eren was off work in the afternoon where he unexpectedly called everyone to gather up outside the lounge café he worked in, though what really brought up their curiosity to tag along was his exciting news he impatiently wanted to deliver to them. It was an introduction of a new friend, the mysterious person standing behind Eren.

Connie and Sasha looked up curiously, halting their rather serious conversation of wether they'd cook meat or eat potatoes for dinner. Armin lifted his gaze up from his phone as Mikasa, who stood beside the blond, immediately turned her attention from Eren to the rather suspicious guy behind him.

Taking a step back, Eren pointed.

"Guys, this is Levi." he says, shooting a smile toward the said man.

Everyone greeted him warmly, repeating his name a couple of times as if they were trying to get used to the foreign word that rolled on their tongues. Mikasa didn't even bother to speak, she had kept her distance with a frown. She was too wary over how this guy looked. With his weird haircut and forever scowling eyes-did they flash red for a second? Mikasa clicked her tongue in suspicion, though she said nothing. Silently, she just watched as everyone circled around the new member of their group, asking silly questions and playfully comparing their heights with his(he was oddly pretty short). Levi seemed to be annoyed by just the last statement though.

_'So, where do you live?'_, _'Where'd you meet Eren?'_ _'I've never seen you around before!'_, _'How long have you guys known each other?'_,_ 'How old are you?'_

"Guys! Guys, chill!" Eren said, feeling uneasy for the way his friends crowded around Levi. Even though it didn't seem to mind Levi at all, he just kept silent all this time, frown still on and arms folded over his chest.

"You're gonna creep the guy out," Eren explained, awkwardly scratching the back of his neck. He was about to speak again, though he was stopped when he felt someone grabbing his hand. It was Mikasa.

"Hey, where'd this guy come from?" she muttered quietly, giving a light squeeze around Eren's hand.

Eren looked away, "Well.." he paused, "I would gladly explain if it weren't for those idiots swarming allover him like bees."

"Ah?" Connie asked, raising a brow at Eren, "Well then tell us already!" he grinned, "It seems as though Levi's a little too shy to talk!"

Everyone laughed at that, though they finally stopped throwing useless questions at Levi, instead they turned their attention to Eren who took a deep breath and smiled,

"You see. We met online, and he used to live a few cities away from us up until now." he explained, "He moved here just a few weeks ago and we realized we were neighbors, so we decided to meet. He was just a little uneasy to meet you guys at first and so this is why I haven't introduced him to you until now. So.."

"Hooo," Sasha snapped her fingers, "So why'd you move here? Work?" her eyes literally _sparkled_ toward the direction of Levi, and she let out an amused noise when Levi simply nodded as an answer to her quesion. "Cooool!"

Levi was, in many ways, thankful she didn't ask about his job specifically. They didn't need to know.

Mikasa had her hand still clutched over Eren's. She wasn't entirely convinced. Eren wasn't the type of guy who would open up to people through online networks-what made Levi an exception? She could feel something fishy going on here but again, she says nothing.

"Alright, putting aside the introduction, can we go grab something to eat now?" Armin complained.

"Wow, didn't expect that question from you, Armin," Connie smiled, "For a second, I thought Sasha was imitating your voice!" though Sasha immediately agreed with Armin's suggestion, quickly mentioning the hotdog stand just across from them by the park. They could've gone to the café where Eren worked, though he'd likely refuse the offer since he'd been in there for practically too many hours to bare a couple more.

"Heh, wouldn't mind if I do," Eren nodded, though Mikasa tugged at his hand lightly in disagreement.

"Eren! You just got back on your feet from being sick a week ago! Eating junk food now wont make things better!"

Eren chuckled, "I know that, Mikasa. I'm not a kid anymore," he shook his head, "It wont be a problem if it's just this once, yes?"

She fumbled with her red scarf around her neck, looking worried, "But Eren, you've been getting sick so often recently.. I just want to make sure I keep you in good health.."

When Levi heard that, he silently clicked his tongue and looked away with a darkened scowl. Eren saw his reaction, though he still kept a weak smile.

"It's alright, Mikasa!" he said, patting her shoulder lightly, "Just this once wouldn't hurt, 'kay? Besides, I've been feeling better and better everyday! Wouldn't this treat be kind of like a reward?" he joked, causing Mikasa to roll her eyes.

But then, she finally agreed. "...Okay."

"Yeeesss!" Sasha exclaimed, "Foood, here I come!" and without warning, she hastily grabbed on Connie's arm and proceeded to drag him across the street, reaching the stand in less than literally five seconds. Armin laughed at Connie's protests, though he quickly followed from behind.

"Hey, hey! Be careful when crossing the street!" Eren yelled, though he couldn't help but smile at their childish behaviour over hot dogs. He turned to Levi,

"Are you coming?"

Levi's eyes narrowed, "You mean you want me to eat such _filth_ as well?"

Mikasa frowned at his rude comment but Eren laughed, "You don't have to, Levi. Just hang out with us."

Levi responded with a light 'Hn', before walking past the two and crossing the road to get to the others in silence.

"Friendly, isn't he?" Eren asked Mikasa awkwardly.

"So it seems," she replied, quickly dragging Eren toward the hotdog stand.

"Ah! Levi, would you like one as well?" Sasha asked with a full mouth, pointing down at her hotdog in her hands, her cheeks already stained with ketchup and mustard from her first bite.

He didn't even mean to, but Levi gave a quick sniff in the crispy air and regretted it wholly when the stench of disgusting junkfood hit his nose.

"No." he says in a monotone, and he watched as Sasha gobbled down her food noisily. _Ugh_, doesn't she know anything about eating manners or, better yet, hygiene? Connie did the same and munched loudly although Armin ate normally even if the blond still looked hungry regardless of the way he ate. But a very amusing sight was how clumsily Eren ate when he was just as hungry as ponytail girl. Bread crumps and sauce stained his cheeks, causing Mikasa to wipe his mouth with a tissue every now and then-it annoyed Levi somehow, although he definitely refused to show it.

"Mikasa! I can wipe myself, damnit!" Eren whined. He couldn't eat properly if Mikasa's hand was always in the way.

"But Eren!"

They bickered a little bit more and Levi watched, eyes concentrated on the boy with deep emerald eyes.

_**oOo**_

"Ahh! I'm so full!" Connie sighed satisfyingly, slumping against the bench he sat on and lazily patted his belly. Sasha nodded delightfully, though she still had a hotdog in her hands. It was her third one, too. They had all settled in the park where a line of stone benches decorated the inner area and a set of trees and thick bushes surrounded them along with colourful flowerbeds.

"Damn, how come you still weigh a penny even after so much food? I'm jealous," Connie smiled, though he received no response from Sasha; she just gobbled away. Her hunger can be overwhelming sometimes.

On the second bench beside them, Armin sat next to Mikasa, giving a light squeeze on her shoulder, "Are you okay Mikasa? Sure you aren't hungry?"

"I'm fine," she says calmly, still fumbling with the end of her red scarf, "I'm just worried about Eren.."

"Aren't you always worried?" Armin smiled, "I mean look at him-he's fine, isn't he?" he pointed at Eren who had been a little further away and was having a brief conversation with Levi.

Unconsciouly Mikasa nodded, but as much as she meant about worrying over Eren's physical state, she was also reffering to something completely different that involved him. Although she says nothing since she hadn't figured out what it was. _Yet_, at least...

"So, what do you think of them?" Eren muttered with a smile to Levi, pointing at his friends with his sharp eyes, being discreet.

"They're all brats." Levi simply stated, though it emitted a whine from the other.

"Levi! Don't be so rude."

"But they are," Levi pressed, "They're good brats."

Eren huffed and rolled his eyes though he kept the smile, "I see. Am I a good brat to you as well?"

Levi frowned, unable to properly reply to that. "Where are you going with this, Jaeger?" for a second, it would seem as if his eyes glowed red, though Eren thought nothing of it.

He lifted his hands up in defeat, "It was just a question, no need to feel threatened!" Eren chuckled. "Sorry, I'm just happy you're getting along with them, I shouldn't have asked such a silly q-"

"You are."

Pause. "Eh?"

"You are," Levi repeats, looking away, "A good brat."

Eren snickers, "Glad to hear."

_**oOo**_

"Alright! See you all tomorrow," Eren grins, "Stay safe, guys, I'd be pissed off if I found out any of you ended up in the Hospital tomorrow morning."

They laughed and joked, Armin felt displeased, "Gee, such a harsh thing to say!" more laughter.

Before anyone could part ways, Mikasa found herself clutching on Eren's hand for the second time, looking at him with wary eyes. She whispered closely, "You're going down the same road with him, aren't you?"

"Mikasa.." Eren muttered, "We're neighbors, of course he's going the same way as I am-our houses are practically just a few blocks away from each other." he tries to explain uneasily, silently wishing her to stop looking at him in such a creepy way. _The Mighty Intense Mikasa Stare_ can stand equally close to Levi's mere frown-in a way, that sounded a little scary.

"Bye, guys!" Armin waved, dragging along the food lover and Connie with him, Eren waved back at them with a childish grin as he watched them take their seperate routes back home.

"Mikasa, don't worry, I'll be fine." he sent her a reassuring smile and squeezed her hand lightly, "I'll call you when I get back home, okay? Promise."

With a sigh of doubt, she lets go of Eren's hand and nods, "Fine. Goodnight then, Eren. Be safe." she stares into her friend's eyes though she shoots a warning glare toward Levi. He does not fret under her gaze, instead he nods at her. He can understand how this woman feels for such a stranger like him. He could feel her mistrust. But still, he understands.

"Have a good night." Levi says lowly to her, he felt no offense when she does not reply. She just turns around and walks away.

_**oOo**_

It was a rather long walk towards his house, Eren mused. Or maybe it was the pace they were going with, since usually it would take him less than twenty minutes, and now it's been a half hour since they started. But the weirder thing is, Levi had fallen silent this whole time, he hadn't said a word til now. Eren couldn't figure him out at this point, even after sending a few worried glances at him, Levi didn't look back, he just kept walking.

Deciding to break the ice, Eren tried starting a conversation, "So, did you have fun today..?"

No response, though he did get Levi to look at him for a brief second. Must've mean he got his attention.

"Everyone told me they really liked you, though I can't say the same for Mikasa.." he continued, "She's really cold toward people she doesn't know, heh, I hope you weren't offended."

Still no reply.

"But still, I thought it was good idea to gather everyone to have a good time, we all needed it. I know _I_ did." he chuckled, but even so, he still felt a little troubled for having a one-sided conversation. Why wont he just say anything, damnit.

"You know, I think the others might-"

"Eren." finally Levi speaks, interrupting him. And yet, Eren grows worried.

"Hm?"

Levi stays silent for a moment and it grew unsatisfyingly longer, playing with Eren's patience. They'd been walking at an even slower pace now, but soon Eren's feet quickly froze on the spot when Levi finally speaks his mind.

"Eren," Levi repeats, looking straight at him with solid eyes. "I am hungry."

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><p>"Nh-ah.," Eren gasped, trying so hard to stay quiet.<p>

"Stop squirming, brat." Levi's annoyed reply was as he held the said brat up against the wall in Eren's cramped apartment. When did they get here so fast..?

"I-I'm trying.." Eren huffed. All he remembered was unlocking the door to his apartment and the rest thereafter was a gray blur. When was he sat against the wall in his living room was beyond him as well as when did his body start to tremble under Levi's mercy.

He took a sharp breath in when he felt Levi's hands working on the fabric of his shirt and yelped when he heard his clothing rip apart.

"L-.. Levi! You didn't have to rip my shir-"

"I _can't_ wait any longer." Levi growls heavily next to Eren's flushed ear, fumbling with the remains of his torn shirt and pushing them aside, exposing the young man's neck. He couldn't help but lick his lips.

With an elegant hand, he cups Eren's chin to turn his head aside, granting better access to him. He leans in and gently touches his lips right above Eren's collarbone, breathing in the unique scent of Eren Jaeger. _Yes_.. He craves none other than this man.

"Do not move too much, and do not disturb my meal." Levi commands.

"Y-..Yes."

And with that, Levi dives in. His eyes unnaturally glow red in pure hunger while his teeth grew sharper and when he bites, he tore through Eren's skin like scissors would to a paper. He drinks him in, growling low in his throat like a savage demon at the sweet, _sweet_ taste flooding in his mouth. Red droplets trickle down Eren's skin from where Levi had attached his mouth and the young man gasped heavily for air, feeling light headed and anemic far too quickly than usual. He hadn't fully recovered from Levi's last meal a week ago as of yet, no wonder Eren feels like collapsing completely.

"Nn, L-Levi.." Eren whined weakly after a while, too weak in fact to even push the other away with his trembling hands. He knew he mustn't disturb his meal, but going any further would be dangerous, lethal even.

"T-too much.."

Levi blinks, drawing his teeth back and leaning away, unconsciously licking at his red lips and staring down at Eren's shaking figure. He frowned at the messy sight. Eren was paler than ever, he was reduced to a panting and sweaty mess and as tempting as the view might be, Levi knew his limits. With a frown, he quickly wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and swiftly picked Eren up from where he weakly sat.

"Hold on," he whispers, pacing through Eren's apartment and reaching his room, only to gently lay him on the bed and throw the covers over his frail body. He sat on the edge of the bed and leant down, but when Levi calls his name, Eren doesn't respond. Regret hits him like a silver bullet, but Levi was thankful that, at least, he was still breathing. It was all that mattered. With a heavy sigh, he wipes his mouth a second time as Jaeger's taste still lingers on his tongue, tingling his senses. However, he was no longer hungry.

Eren is fast asleep, and Levi is a blood sucking monster.

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><p><strong>Sorry for any mistakes. Reviews are appreciated!<strong>

**(:**


	2. Chapter 2

**Yo! Wasn't sure if I should update the story this early; I wanted to wait a few more days to see if the story interests more people, but I kind of felt bad for having just a single chapter up. Thanks for the few people who have followed up until now! **

**Here's a more detailed introduction. Enjoy.**

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><p><em>Chapter 2.<em>

Eren doesn't believe in the existence of vampires.

Yes, as weird as this may sound, it stays true to his beliefs. Levi isn't a vampire, he almost has nothing in common with them other than being weak against silver. In fact, how this man works was pretty simple, no rocket science needed.

Unlike the vampires in those cheesy movies, the sun didn't seem to bother Levi, although his eyes are quite sensitive to bright light. Holy symbols or garlic has no affect on him whatsoever as well as hawthorn or oak stakes. Also, Eren thinks it's quite stupid to believe a vampire is immortal until it's killed; Levi ages normally like the rest of the world, despite his life span lasting just a little longer. Besides, time stops for nothing and _no one_, Levi is no exception to that rule. And whoever came up with the idea that vampires could not see their reflection on the mirror or cannot cast a shadow must have been really desperate for a good movie plot.

In other words, Levi almost convincingly has no difference with humans other than the fact that he needs a regular bloody meal every now and then to survive. And yet, he isn't considered a human at all. He does seem to be able to eat other types of food,_ human food_, though when Eren asked him if that messes up his system or makes him feel strange, Levi simply replied that there are no effects and no taste, regardless of what he eats. He cannot say the difference between sweet and bitter, sour or salty. He described the experience as '_munching on solid water_'. Eren couldn't help but lift a curious eyebrow at the comment, though he completely brushed that off later.

There was only one problem though. It's kind of like a rule. Levi can go on with no blood sucking for at least a month depending on how much blood he consumes the previous time. Waiting any more than that can be very dangerous. Any more than that, and he is _no_ longer Levi. To put it simply, he goes crazy mad. He no longer remembers who he is, where he is and what he's doing. After that, the only thing he's after is to satisfy his thirst with a good meal. It's rather simple; Kill and feast, or die from painful hunger. It was the only reason Eren listens obediently whenever Levi says he's hungry.

"Have you killed anyone before?" Eren asked, one rainy day.

Hesitantly, Levi replied, "I have. Not only once."

This made Eren gulp, but he continued, "So, do you regularly kill to get what you want?"

"I don't get what I want, I get what I_ need_." Levi corrected, "And no. I don't kill just for the fun of it. If necessary, I turn to animals, as unsatisfying as their blood may be."

"What is the difference between animals and humans? The taste, perhaps? Or the amount, or maybe the-"

"The difference is, you shitty humans ask too many fucking questions." Levi spat rudely, annoyed by how Eren easily asks the most dumbess questions in the universe.

Eren chuckled, "Sorry."

_**oOo**_

An even better question is; Why would Eren even be Levi's willing meal, even after feeling sick and anemic afterwards. Eren wondered the same thing, really, but the answer lies way back from the day they met.

It had been almost half a year back, on a winter afternoon when Eren had finally left from work. His feet ached from moving from table to table, serving people none stop for a little over eight hours before his shift ended. Nothing unusual there, nothing but the strange abnormality of the air once he stepped foot outside the cafeteria. Of course, it was winter so it was naturally cold, though Eren couldn't help but feel a stinging chill run over him as he adjusted the scarf around his neck with his gloved fingers. He'd usually have his bicycle with him to get home faster, but the front breaks magically stopped working somehow and even if he had the back breaks, they were rather weak. _How convinient_.

It was his first time going home by foot from work, though he didn't seem to mind. Not yet, at least. Just a few of blocks down the road, pass by a few alleys and a turn to the right, and he'd finally be home, under the warm thick covers of his bed. That was the plan. _Was_.

He did follow that route, honestly. But the one thing that happened that day and changed his entire life from a straight path to an upside down labyrinth, was the time he passed by an alley and simply stopped walking.

A noise. A single noise rang in his ears, coming deep from the dark alley. A tin can falling on the ground, old papers lifted up in the air from the wind, and an inhuman growl.

He could hear something else, but he couldn't identify what it was, not from where he was standing. Of course, this was none of his business, he wanted nothing to do with whatever was happening in there, totally. So, if there was a reason for him to be this illogical and start making his way through the alley, it was something along the lines of _'Why not'._

Eren squinted his eyes, suddenly too dark to see as he ventured forward. The temperature fell with every step as icy breaths escaped his lips. And that's where he first saw him.

A figure hungrily crouched over a dead stray dog that lay against a cold wall, splattered in its own blood. The noise Eren couldn't identify just seconds ago was the uncomfortable slurping sounds it made while drinking away. He saw a tight fist right around the poor animal's nape, squeezing out any remains of red liquid for him to suck from its neck as every now and then, he'd growl low in his throat. His eyes were glowing intensely red and Eren could make out his sharp teeth from all the blood and gore, even in the dark.

Really, he didn't mean to, Eren decided that he had seen enough to last a whole year, and with his wide trembling eyes, he was about to turn around and just _get the fuck out of there_-but no. He gasped loudly first, drawing unwanted attention. This caused the figure to jerk up, head turning abruptly towards the direction of Eren, and the young man realized how dilated its eyes were when their gazes met, like a cat's own in the middle of the night.

Eren's memories were a little hazy thereafter. He did remember it lashing out at him with an animalistic howl and great speed, and the painful way his back hit the bricked wall behind him. But everything after that was a white blank and a very terrible experience. The next thing he knew was waking up at the same alley in the middle of the night with an excruciating wound right under his collarbone. He felt extremely light headed and was as white as paper. But the same man was still there, staring down at his weak state, though his eyes and teeth were back to normal and he looked more human now even with blood covering his chin. The man had asked a question more than a couple of times, though Eren couldn't bring himself to concentrate enough. It took a few tries.

"...Live..?" Eren's ears rang, "..-re do you live?"

_Where do you live?_

With a frail voice, Eren eventually whispered his adress loudly enough for the other before going unconscious a second time.

The next day, he woke on his bed, thirsty and aching everywhere like _Hell_. It felt as though he woke up right after a damn train wreck, but with less train. His throat was impossibly dry and his head hurt bad, his hands trembled and he could still feel the painfully sensitive wound still itching under his collarbone. He was about to look around until a hand appears in front of him, holding a plastic bottle of prune juice.

"Drink." he hears someone say before he was handed the bottle. It was the same guy from last night(minus the blood,_ thank God_), and Eren was about to flinch away in fear, but he had no energy left to even look up at the man's face properly.

More or less, with the bottle in his hand, Eren didn't even hesitate with his questions that were thrown angrily up at the other. 'Who the fuck are you-_what_ the fuck are you, what did you do to me, what's going on!' and so on.

The man groaned angrily. "Listen brat, I'll answer your questions one by one only if you calm the fuck down." and Eren easily shuts up. A beast or not, he was really _rude_.

And so with a click of his tongue, Eren did what he was asked and instead continued calmly. He felt the man shift from where he sat, on the edge of the bed.

"...What's your name?"

"Levi. What's yours?"

A nod. "Eren. W..What are you?"

Levi paused, "Not human." no_ shit_.

"Why did you save me, right after literally trying to kill me?"

Something flickered in Levi's eyes, and he looked away in serious thought, "I.. don't know. I didn't want to." this doesn't really answer any of Eren's questions.

"What do you mean?"

"I meant that I didn't fucking want to, brat." he huffed, "You tasted different, that's all."

Rather than being enlightened, Eren grew more and more confused. But he still pressed, "And what does that have to do with keeping me alive?"

Suddenly, Levi furiously grabbed on the collar of Eren's shirt and yanked him forward, enraged by the annoying young lad. "Listen here, you little shit."

Eren gulped.

"I'm keeping you alive so I can fucking feed off from you again in the near future, if you don't like it then tough luck, buddy." and then he pushes him away, causing Eren to hit the matress softly on his back, the bottle flying from his hand and landing on the pillow beside him. Eren gasped,

"Y-you bastard!" he said weakly, trying to regain his composure, "You can't just randomly decide that on your own!"

"Watch me."

"Damnit, Levi!" Eren snapped, he was about to raise his voice but coughed midway. "There's no way I am letting you-!"

"Fucking. _Watch me_." Levi repeats darkly, eyes narrowing and slowly turning red. Eren shrank, feeling vulnrable under his gaze. After that, Eren settled with just drinking his juice and say nothing else.

That was their deal. A stupid, idiotic deal that Eren shouldn't have accepted(even though it was forced upon, but still). It further transformed into a kind of deal where Eren keeps Levi's true identity and creepy ass eyes as a secret as well as giving him access to his blood once(or twice, when Levi feels like it) a month, and if not, then Levi would simply kill him. The fair exchange was that Levi would allow Eren to introduce him to his friends, though when he asked why, he wasn't given a clear reason.

So, just fucking _Great_.

_**oOo**_

Now, how did they came on rather friendly terms wasn't with their conscious decision. Perhaps maybe after getting used to everything, both started opening up to each other whenever they found a chance(hence to why Eren knew a few things about Levi). However, Eren felt like he was seriously suffering from Stockholm Syndrome at the begining, but he decided that it wasn't all too bad after all. Give it enough time, and he already forgot how to feel fear towards Levi and just_ roll with it_. Of course, whenever feeding time came, no matter how many times it happens, it still stirrs Eren's guts. He wasn't exactly afraid of it, but there was something that just _clicked_ everytime Levi's mouth was on his neck or shoulder or arm, anywhere he could bite that gives a good access to his blood. Damn, he doesn't know, it just feels _weird_ and it embarrasses him every single time, though Levi doesn't appear to notice that when he feeds.

Long story short, Eren no longer finds any errors with his blood being sucked by someone who isn't even human. This might seem a bit odd for everyone else, scary even, but this became too normal for him to care anymore. Like changing his clothes kind of normal.._ Kind of_.

Yet now he knows, Levi isn't one bit a monster that he once claimed to be. Eren couldn't call him a beast, or even a vampire.

Besides, Eren doesn't believe in the existence of vampires.

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><p><strong>Alright, I'll be uploading regularly once a week, so no more early updates! <strong>

**Reviews are appreciated! (:**


	3. Chapter 3

**I apologize for my bad habit of writing short chapters, as well as any mistakes you may find in all of them. However, I still hope you enjoy(:**

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><p><em>Chapter 3.<em>

Eren woke to the sound of his name, bouncing softly off the walls of his room.

"Wake up, idiot." he hears and stirrs lightly on his bed as he slowly tried opening his eyes, thankful for the curtains still drawn close to keep the sunlight from flooding in his room.

"Hnn?" he murmured, slowly rising from his bed and trying his best to ignore the dizziness that hit him like a brick. He yawned and stretched, rubbing his eyes sleepily before finally taking a good look at the man sitting next to him.

"Oi, how long are you going to be sleeping?" Levi asked with a blank expression, lifting his hand up to offer Eren a bottle of orange juice which was a greatful habit to have everytime he was done with his meals. Eren thanked him and quickly twisted the cap off to take a sip.

"Morning, by the way." Eren muttered with a pale smile, and he received a light nod from the other.

"Stay in bed for now and don't move too much, I'll get you some cereal." Levi instructed, "Do you want some fruits as well? It'll make you feel better."

Eren drank silently, nodding at Levi once and watched as the man raised himself up and left the room. With a sigh, he popped the cap back on the plastic bottle and placed it on the nightstand beside the bed. He laid back and rubbed his tired face with his hands. Damn, how can he go to work like this?

Then again, he feels greatful for having Levi around at times like these. Initally of course, he wasn't this kind. In fact, he didn't care at all, leaving Eren to recover from his weak state all by himself in any quick way possible, even though Levi was the one who caused it. At first, Eren hadn't known how to deal with the constand blood loss, it reached to a point where he had fainted a couple of times at work. And there are just so many times a person can go to the doctor due to Anemia before starting to seem suspicious, so Eren stopped visiting after a few times, but he kept the doc's prescription for meds. And then Mikasa jumps in as she immediately saw through his situation, thinking that maybe he might not be eating right or, even worse, not eating at all. He tried explaining that he was totally fine, even if he was not. He just wanted Mikasa to stop worrying so much, told her that he could take care of himself, even going so far as to mention his recent visits to the doctor. But that was months ago.

Now, something changed-or better yet, everything changed. As time went by, Eren started to notice these small little gestures of kindess from Levi. Sometimes, he'd carry him to his bed after feeding, other times he even helped with house chores and cleaning when Eren couldn't lift a finger(though maybe that's because he's such a clean freak; Eren realized that later). And then eventually, Levi turned to oftenly making a healthy breakfast or lunch for Eren everytime he was too weak to even stand from the bed. Which was really weird, the guy has no taste buds(at least for _human_ foods), so how come his cooking actually tasted good?

In the end, Eren felt like he was babysat once a month by Levi as if Mikasa's babysitting skills weren't enough. _Sigh.._

"Are you sleeping again?" Levi mused, standing next to the door with a tray in his hands. Eren looked up from underneath his hands that were still cupping his face, and grinned tiredly.

"Nope, just felt a little dizzy." Levi nodded and walked to him, leaving the tray next to Eren, on the bed.

"You gotta eat, your shift start's at twelve o'clock today, right? You got an hour." Levi pointed at the digital clock on the nightstand, its green flashy numbers read 10:49am.

"Awh, damn!" Eren panicked as he got up abruptly to grab on the bowl of cereal, eating as fast as he could before going for the little plate with sliced fruits like apple, oranges and bananas. Levi rolled his eyes when Eren coughed midway, just as he expected.

"Shitty brat. Slow down, or you'll choke to death."

"S-sorry."

_**oOo**_

The digital clock now read 11:37am, and Eren was late. In such a weak physical state, he thought it was a miracle that he got out of bed, took a warm shower, got dressed and ready for work in so little time. He threw on a light jacket and sat on his bed to put his shoes on. He was lacing his shoes when he felt a soft, fluffy fabric drape on his head. _A towel?_

When he looked up, he met face to face with Levi's typical disinterested expression. He had thrown the towel on Eren's head and proceeded to gently dry his hair by running his fingers along Eren's hairline through the soft towel.

"It's gonna be a bit windy today, you'll catch a cold if you go out like this." he said in a monotone, and this catches Eren off guard. He couldn't help it, he blushed.

"Thanks.."

It was seven minutes later that Eren was finally out of his apartment, his dizziness already fading and his hair all dried, the feeling of Levi's hands still faintly tingling in his mind.

* * *

><p><em>12:09pm<em> "You're late, Jaeger." Jean Kirschtein said sternly as he watched Eren enter the café. Eren chuckled lightly,

"At ease, my friend, for I've come to save the day." he joked. There were a lot of customers coming in every saturday, and today was no exception. Maria's Café wasn't much of a fancy place, it was big enough to occupy one waiter around for every shift, but it was also pretty enough to attract this much people everytime. Seeing how packed it was today, Eren knew he had to get straight to work before he gets yelled at by his boss for slacking around(or being nine minutes late for work).

Marco Bott, one of the waiters of the staff, was the one running around those 9 extra minutes while Eren was absent(Jean was the bartender and cashier), and Eren apologized sencerely for extending the time of his shift, even though Marco worked fewer hours since it was a part-time job. Though Marco just shrugged and laughed it off before leaving everything to Eren.

"Good luck!" he cheered and finally left the cafe after greeting Jean goodbye.

Time for some serious business, Eren thought with a smirk, lifting his sleeves above his elbows.

_**oOo**_

"Ahh." Eren huffed out, exhausted after a day of too much running. He had been sitting on a stool by the bar where Jean was mixing some drinks for two lovely ladies on table four. Eren wiped the sweat from his forehead with a napkin and looked up at Jean from the other side of the bar. It was almost 7:30pm, and there usually are very few customers at this hour, giving time for Eren to stop and take a breath, and give his feet some rest. His shift finishes in about thirty minutes, so he was taking it rather slow.

"Jean, they're looking at you." Eren grinned, discreetly pointing at the two girls who ordered their drinks. Jean rolled his eyes.

"You think I didn't notice?" came the annoyed reply.

"Hey, why not? They're cute." Eren chcukled, "Might as well put your number on the tray together with the drinks before I deliver it to 'em." he suggested, though this just made Jean sigh.

"I'm not interested, and you know that." Jean pointed, glancing at the waiter. Eren already knew the story, he had eyes only for Mikasa, though she didn't feel the same. Or rather, Jean doesn't know if she does, since he never had the guts to ask. It's already been almost _two_ years.

"I know, heh. But even a man like you should learn how to relax sometimes, you know?"

"I know how to rela-wait. What do you mean by _a man like me_?!"

Eren laughed when Jean angrily threw a crumpled napkin at his shoulder, but the two stopped when they heard the little door bell ring from the entrance of the café. A customer. Eren jumped from the stool and quickly placed the two drinks Jean had made on the tray before elegantly walking pass by some tables and delivering the drinks to the ladies in a professional manner.

When he went back to the bar with the empty tray, Jean placed a glass of water before him. He had a blush on his cheeks.

"For.. Table eight." he mumbled and quickly scrambled away to tend to other businesses. Eren raised an eyebrow, though he puts the glass of water on the tray and walked up to table eight. He was surprised to see it was Mikasa.

He smiled, placed the glass of water in front of her and started, "Hello! Welcome to Maria's café-"

"You didn't call last night."_ Oh._ No wonder she hadn't been entirely excited to see Eren.

He literally forgot. Even after promising he'd call once he was back home, it wasn't entirely his fault. _Levi was hungry_.

"A-ah! I am so sorry, I forgot!" Eren tried explaining, though Mikasa wanted none of that.

"Do you know how worried I was? And you weren't even answering your phone!" she said as a frown clouded her expression, "What were you thinking?"

Eren awkwardly rubbed at his nape, not knowing what to say to that.

"Well, I was so tired last night, I went to bed early and forgot to call, I guess." he lied, but covered it up with a chuckle.

Her tone was cautious, "And what about Levi?" and her eyes glinted dangerously when she mentions his name.

"Ah? He's fine, we went our seperate ways once I got to my apartment," _lies_, all lies. Just like the lies he said yesterday about him. He resisted gulping loudly, keeping up a reassuring smile.

Speaking of which, Levi might still be in his apartment, but Eren told him to leave from the window if so he wished, since the door's locked. Besides, Levi tends to come and go _only_ through his bedroom's window, because he doesn't want to be seen by anyone entering his apartment through the front door. Eren's flat was on the fifth floor, so how the hell does he do that is beyond him.

And so, Mikasa seemed to relax a little, "Okay.. I am sorry for being rude."

Eren shook his head, "Nah, no problem. I'm glad you care for me, Mikasa." she smiled. He hoped she hadn't noticed his rather pale complexion from blood loss either and start asking questions, though she didn't mention anything.

Eventually, she ordered some tea and Eren went on to working the last few minutes of his shift, getting lectured by Jean a second time for taking orders too long from customers, even though he did so with a red face, since Mikasa was still around. She still didn't seem to notice.

* * *

><p>The door clicked open and Eren entered his flat with an exhausted sigh. He closed the door behind him and kicked off his shoes. Taking off his jacket and throwing it on his armchair, he left his phone, keys and wallet on the coffee table in the living room. Damn, he was pretty tired by now. He was surprised he was on his feet for eight hours straight without fainting on a busy saturday. He should probably tell Levi to not feed on fridays when Eren needed to work extra hard the next day. It was risky.<p>

He ate a light dinner of pasta and a little bit of bread, though he disliked how he had cooked it this time. He prefers Levi's cooking. Where is he anyway? He searched his bedroom but no one was there, and he saw his window ajar. As expected, Levi left through the window again, but Eren just shakes his head and chuckles. What a _weird_ man, indeed.

He went to bed early, slipping through the warm covers with only a pair of pyjamas pants. He's so glad he isn't working on sundays, so he could finally recover to full health. Plus, he can sleep in.

Hugging his pillow, he sighed pleasantly and shifted lightly under the covers to get into a more comfortable position. He was sleepy in minutes. He dragged his hand up and carefully touched his fingers against his healing wound right ontop of his collarbone, the one he gained last night. It didn't hurt, but it was definitely there; _the bite mark_. He had another one just under his nape, though it was on the verge of disappearing completely(Levi liked biting him there as much as he did with his neck, oddly. Eren never had a chance to ask him why). Up until now, even from so many times that he's been bitten, there were no scars left behind, and the wounds heal real quick. At first, Eren thought Levi was being very careful on the way he sinks his teeth in, but perhaps that wasn't really the case. Not that he minded. He just didn't want any evidence lingering on his body that someone out there had been biting him for half a year, or even worse, that people would think he was self inflicting these wounds, especially if they were on his arms which weirdly take forever to heal and vanish, unlike anywhere else on his body.

He traced a finger over on both remaining bite marks that were located above his collabone and under his nape. With another sigh, he silently calculated how many days were left til they were completely gone. Just a few more days.

He smiled faintly before eventually falling asleep. Pure red eyes conquered his dreams.

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><p><strong>Thanks for reading! Reviews are welcome!(:<strong>


	4. Chapter 4

**I decided I am just _too_ impatient to wait every week to upload. I'll try updating as frequently as possible instead. I'm really into the story-line so far, and I am eager to show you guys. **

**Enjoy!**

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><p><em>Chapter 4.<em>

This time he was awoken by the smell of eggs and bacon. _Damn_, smells good.

He cracked an eye open to scan around the room, expecting to see a tray somewhere with delicious breakfast, but there was nothing. The clothes he wore yesterday were meant to be a pile beside his bed, but they are now neatly folded on a chair across from him, as well as his nightstand that had gathered a little dust is now all clean and spotless, just like literally everything else in his room.

Eren thought that it was too early in the morning to feel curious, but as he glanced at his window which was wide open, he already knew the answer to all of his lingering questions. Levi is here.

But, how come? He usually leaves right after taking care of him and comes back one or two weeks later, just to check up on him. He fed two days ago, maybe he's hungry again? Eren gulped at the thought. If that's the point, he'll never recover.

Deciding to not think too much, Eren yawned and extended his arms above his head for a good stretch as he rised from his bed and left the room. He was thankful that the weather was warm outside, he was too lazy to put a shirt back on. He entered the living room and went for his phone on the coffee table, unlocking the screen with a swipe of his fingers. He checked the time. Already 11am, huh? Although it was a good rest and he really did sleep in, he thought if it was normal to be sleeping over eight hours. But he was totally like an undead last night, so perhaps it was.

But of course, his day couldn't start well without a few miss calls and texts from Mikasa. Eren sighed through his sleepy smile whilst tapping her number on his phone to call her. It didn't take long until she answered.

"Yo, Mikasa."

"Eren! Goodmorning. I hope I didn't wake you up with my texts or calls." he could hear chattering in the backround on the other line. She's probably outside.

"Ah, no. I had my phone in the living room, wasn't aware you called," he shook his head, slowly making his way to the kitchen where the intense and delicious smell of breakfast came from. He was met by a busy looking Levi; apron around his waist, sleeves folded above his elbows and a concentrated look. When Levi glanced back at him, Eren pressed a finger against his own lips, silencing the other before he could speak. 'Mikasa', Eren mouthed inaudibly as he pointed at the phone on his ear. Levi blinked for a second, but nodded and went back to cooking.

"Yes, I'm okay. I just got up-No, I went to bed early last night. Hm, okay, no worries. Thanks, I'll talk to you later."

Honestly, Levi thought Eren was talking to his mother. He couldn't help but roll his eyes once Eren hung up the phone and placed the device on the counter next to him. Eren approached Levi and looked over his shoulder, his mouth watering by the sight of the omelette being cooked in the pan.

"Sit your ass down, food'll be ready in a minute." Levi said, annoyed by how Eren so easily hovered over him due to his height. It was such a complex for him sometimes. He didn't mind being short, but rather, he minded other people being _too damn tall_. Eren laughed, doing as he was asked and taking a seat by the table right after pulling out a juice box from the fridge.

The silence that was building up thankfully didn't last too long. "So," Eren started, "How did you learn how to cook? I mean, you can't taste anything we eat, yet whatever you make tastes _so_ much better than the crap I try to cook. It's impressive."

He was excepting the other to reply rudely, _'none of your damn business, brat'_.. Or so. But he got an honest answer out of him.

"I had to," Levi said, "In a world dominated by idiot humans like you, I had to find ways to cover up my true identity by living the exact way you humans did. That includes knowing how to cook." he nodded to himself once he thought the omelette was ready, grabbing a plate from the cupboard.

"Kind of like natural instincts for survival." he continued, readying the plate with the omelette and bacon before placing it on the table in front of Eren.

"I see," Eren nodded, taking the fork offered by Levi and diving in. He forgot how hungry he was, and the food was so damn good. Levi sat across from him, getting rid of the apron and folding his arms above his chest as he watched Eren munch away.

"Unlike you, I happen to be a better human than you, even if I am not." Levi smirked when Eren choked from the obvious insult.

"Wha-! What do you mean?! Just because my cooking sucks, doesn't make me any less worthy of being called a human!" he whined.

"You make no sense, and you overreact too much, kid." Levi stated calmly, though this shuts Eren up. The rest of his breakfast, Eren ate in silence.

**oOo**

"So.. What are you doing here?" Eren mumbled. They were back in his room. Levi was standing next to the window, peeking outside and averting his eyes at the busy streets below while Eren sat on his bed. It took a moment for Levi to speak,

"I came to check on you. You've been getting weak faster these days whenever you let me feed." he says honestly, glancing back at the other. Eren blushed lightly.

"I.. I don't mind." And he really didn't.

"But_ I_ do." Levi counters, frowning. He steps in front of Eren, leaning down and lightly touching his fingers against the healing wound he inflicted just a couple of days ago. "You used to recover quickly.. I might be the one who causes them but I don't want you having scars."

Eren flinches at his touch, almost shying away from his hand. It was hard to look Levi in the eye, "Even so, I still am recovering, even with the decreased speed. I'm going to be fine."

_Eren didn't get it..._

"Stubborn brat." Levi clicked his tongue, straightening himself, "You're going to tire yourself out, you'll end up fainting again."

_Eren _really_ didn't get any of it..._

"Then let me be. What's wrong with you all of a sudden?" Eren growled, "Just a few months ago, you easily threatend to kill me if I denied you my blood. And now you're treating me like a child who can barely walk on its own! Make up your damn mind already!" _I am not that hopeless!_

It was their deal, wasn't it? A deal where Eren would willingly give his blood whenever Levi craved for it, otherwise he'd meet his death. Why is he showing pity, now of all times? It wasn't enough that Mikasa can be overbearing sometimes with her overprotectiveness, but he didn't need Levi to be doing the same thing. Eren never asked for this. He was a grown man, capable of breathing on his own, do they not know this?

Levi was taken aback, his eyes widening just a bit. He didn't expect this kind of reply. But the shock left as quickly as it came.

"Tch. Fine then," Levi said lowly, "I'll stop getting in your way." he took a few steps back, turning on his heel and swiftly jumping out of the window, leaving a frustrated Eren behind.

"W-wait!" Eren tried. He jumped from the bed and reached the window, though there was no sight of Levi anywhere. He was gone.

**oOo**

It was their first argument, Eren realized. Or at least, their first fight since the times they started being friendly with each other. The situation right now is almost the same as it was when they were still strangers to one another's eyes. They wouldn't talk(mostly argue), they'd just get the job done and then _see you next time_. Eren sighed. It was wrong of him to lash out at Levi like that. It was true, about how he overreacted sometimes, and it can be a pain in the ass. But he couldn't help himself. He knows he's right, he doesn't need the protection from anyone, even if Levi was only worrying over his health. It's just something he could never get used to.

Mikasa is one thing, but she's been like that since forever ago so much so that Eren saw through it as a completely normal thing by now. So why Levi, too?

Back on his bed, he had covered himself with a thick blanket, curled up in the corner of the matress, frustrated and angry. His motivation to do anything today comepletely depleted, and he decided he'd stay in bed to properly recover. He wasn't sure what he was supposed to do now though. Not with how things ended with Levi. Eren should've apologized.

"He should apologize first.." Eren heard himself tenaciously whisper under the blanket, and it was turning quite pathetic for letting such a small thing get to him so bad. Kind of like a _damn_ Lover's Quarrel. But he couldn't help but wonder what was going to happen from now on. Would Levi keep coming back for his blood, regardless of how their relationship is right now? He doesn't care if Levi will start hating him from here on, as long as he regularly comes back it would all be fine-

Wait. It would be _fine_? No, _nothing_ would be damn fine! Eren needed a constant reminder that what would keep drawing Levi back isn't Eren himself, but his _blood_. He might as well not care for the rest; Of course nothing would be fine, even after coming back. Eren felt stupid. Why was he even fussing over some damn inhuman blood sucking beast to begin with. Even after knowing that there was nothing wrong in being taken cared of by Levi. He didn't mean to be this rude.. Eren really should've apologized.

"That's why.." Eren mutters again, "...Hurry up and come back to apologize first, idiot."

But Levi was right. Eren is a stubborn brat.

* * *

><p><strong>Sorry for the sudden drama, I had to put a few feels at <em>some<em> point to get the story going.**

**Reviews are welcome!**


	5. Chapter 5

**I am ****actually quite proud of how long this chapter came out! Sorry for the wait, guys! Enjoy!**

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><p><em>Chapter 5.<em>

It had been days since Eren last saw him, _weeks_ even. He couldn't bring himself to not worry, it was more complicated than he thought.

But since then, he was finally back on his feet, fully recovered and healthy as ever, Levi's bite marks were long gone from his skin. He went to work regularly(this time without being nine minutes late), and his meals turned into more junk food rather than something healthier. Besides, he was sick and tired of the crappy _shit_ he desperately tried to cook after deciding he'd try a more balanced diet, but it never seemed to work.. At least not with _his_ cooking skills.

Mikasa still worried about him, but a little less these days when she pointed out the lively colour that was back on his face and the little meat he gained around his waist. She was relieved to see him getting better from whatever mystery illness he was going through for quite a while. And by illness, Eren meant his own blood being sucked until he dropped. But, he wouldn't say_ that_ to anyone.

"It would be unfair for a man to weigh less than a woman, you know." Mikasa joked one day at Maria's café, sitting across from Armin who was joyfully eating chocolate ice cream from a well designed glass. Connie and Sasha were there too, munching on sandwiches. Mikasa was reffering to Eren's weight when he was still all pale and skinny, and Armin giggled, spoon between his lips and chocolate staining the corners of it. Eren, as a hard working waiter, wasn't there to witness Mikasa's humour since he was taking orders here and there, yet he still was thankful his friends came over to see him even if he was seriously busy. They'd usually wait til the number of customers coming in to slow down so Eren could get a few minutes with them.

Sometimes right after work, usually saturday, Eren and his friends would hang out at a bar a little further away from his work, just to grab a beer. He wasn't really fond of alcohol, but he wouldn't mind it every now and then. He was so used to_ juice_, he felt like an underaged teen drinking beer everytime he chugged one down. The alcohol tasted differently after so long, but the headaches were just as bad if he overdid it.

Everything was back to normal again, and Eren would've been so glad for it if the said normality hadn't felt so foreign to him. It was good and all, but he kept feeling that an entire piece was missing, which was _Levi_. It would've sounded off a few months back, but now it is as though Eren lost his balance in his everyday routine. And it's been thirty two days. Thirty two days since he last he saw him, heard of him, felt his teeth on him. And it was weird. Eren wasn't sure if he missed the older man, though he defintely didn't miss offering his exposed neck to him(since the feeling gave him odd chills). He was totally sure it was something different that threw him off balance, and whatever it was, it still involved the other man. Maybe it was the argument they had which now sounded really stupid. Perhaps it was truthfully his own mistake. Maybe he should have apologized first after all..

For days Eren tried searching for an acceptable word to describe this specific emotion that's been bouncing up and down inside of him, and the closest he could ever get were loss or loneliness. Of course, it wasn't as accurate as he thought, the words didn't seem right even if it was close to resemble what he had been feeling all these days that passed by so silently, _oddly peacefully_. Solitude wasn't exactly the answer he was looking for, but he could definitely agree that it just might be it. At least when Levi wasn't around for so long. And he's never done that before either. The longest he was gone was under two weeks, even from the very start he kept his visits to date. But there was no sign of him now. Furthermore, Eren was more worried over the fact that Levi hadn't fed since their last visit, or even worse, maybe turned to other people for their blood. Eren isn't stupid and he wasn't considering himself as a special someone, but Levi kept him alive for a reason. A reason that was rare to find in other people, so it might be possible that Levi might have killed for a meal during these days of his absence. But _that_ wouldn't be the worst case scenario. Not even close.

Eren remembered the conversation he once had with Levi about how dangerously animalistic he becomes if he doesn't eat after a while. He remembered the poor dog he wholly devoured back at the alley in sheer, painful hunger. And the way he howled right at him upon being spotted, still awfully hungry even after finishing with the stray. He would've been killed if he didn't start off with the dog first. What's more worse than a devestatingly hungry Levi going on a bloody killing spree?

Goddamn, of course Eren was worried! Then again, there was nothing that Eren could do about it. Levi was like a shadow in the night, he couldn't be spotted so easily, he might be miles away by now. Even so, it hurts. More than those lingering bite marks, it hurt worse that he couldn't do anything other than wait..

* * *

><p>Summer is right around the corner, it was so obvious when the heat became unbearable and the air conditioning system blasted cold air through the packed space of Maria's Café on a busy day. Eren couldn't help but splash cold water on his face every hour in the public restrooms, trying to cool himself off before getting back to work. Jean was in no better situation. Unlike Eren, Jean didn't have the time to even sit as orders came and went, just like every customer. With so many people gathered up in one place, no wonder the air condition wasn't enough to cool him off.<p>

"Try not to spill the drinks," Jean said cautiously, sweat sliding down his eyebrow as he placed more baverages on the tray than it could handle, but Eren nodded with a determined glint in his eyes. More orders came in, there was no time for a second round for the rest of the drinks, so they were delivering them altogether at a time.

"Leave it to me," Eren assured, skillfully lifting the tray just a little above his head with a steady hand and maneuvring around and through the crowd. He was elegant when it came to serving people. It sounded a little silly, but it kind of was like a natural talent. As much as Jean disliked the kid's bad humour that always seemed to be directed at him, he thought he was the best waiter in the whole staff. Marco was crazy talented as well, mostly with words too, but there was something different between the two. Their third waitress, Krista, who had the night shifts right after Eren, could sometimes be a little clumsy with her hands, but her utter adorableness hugely makes up for her mistakes.

Despite all the hustle and bustle in the lounge café, the staff seemed to enjoy their busy time at work. Eren loved talking to customers and giving them a good impression while Jean was fond of showing off his bartending skills to people. Packed or not, the atmosphere was always kept light and easy going.

"Jean," Eren adressed after a busy while, abruptly slapping a piece of paper full of orders on the counter in front of the other, "I need these drinks for table two, seven, twelve and the third booth."

With a nod, Jean examined the paper, "Anything else?"

"I need them ten minutes ago!" Eren grinned, quickly walking away to tend to other customers. Jean just rolled his eyes, though he went straight to business.

_**oOo**_

"So, how do you guys know what number each table is? Do you memorize them?" Eren was asked by a pretty girl. A curious customer who happened to notice Eren mentioning table numbers to Jean, though she saw no number on any of them, neither at the tables in the booths at the left side of the lounge.

Eren chuckled, "You can say that. There are no numbers on the tables. The bartender and I came up with them to make it easier for us to work." he explained simply, retrieving his pen that balanced itself above his ear to scribble down her order on his little notepad.

"So, just the coffee, right? Anything else?" he asked with a smile, receiving a blush from the girl as she nodded, turning to her friend and silently giving her a questioning look.

"Do you want anything else?" she asked her friend, though the other shook her head softly, a blond strand falling over her eyes. With another polite nod, Eren thanked them and went back up to Jean, handing the piece of paper to him.

"Here," Eren pointed, "For table six." he had his eyes on Jean only until the man nodded before averting his gaze down at the watch around his wrist. His shift was nearly over, though he saw no signs of Krista anywhere, the waitress who took over after he was done. Jean noticed him staring down at his watch and snorted as he made the coffee.

"Late as always, right?" he asked, not bothering to look at the other. Eren shook his head with a smile.

"I can never feel angry at her, honestly." Eren commented, glancing at the café's exit. People slowly left, thankfully. It was great to have the place full and all, since that was the way they filled their pockets, but it was so much more relaxing when it was emptier.

"No worries, I bet she just stopped to pet a stray cat or something, she'll be here in no time." Jean stated lazily, placing the well made mug of coffee and a small plate with a couple of biscuits on Eren's empty tray.

Eren chuckled, "Yeah, right. Stray kitties." he picked the tray up and went back to table six.

**_oOo_**

"Gah! Sorry I'm late!" Krista, who gasped for air, bowed in apology before Eren. She had been running to get here, said she missed the bus. _Huh, so it wasn't stray kitties_. Eren just laughed and patted her shoulder lightly. It wasn't a big deal after all, she was barely fifteen minutes late. It reminded him of the last time he was nine minutes late, so he understood her situation.

"Gee, Kris, how long are you going to keep us waiting?" Jean called from the bar, though he held a toothy grin, his spirits lifting when he saw her flustered face.

"I'm really sorry! I promise I'll be in time tomorrow!"

"Only tomorrow?" Eren teased, watching as Krista shook her head vigorously.

"I mean everyday! Promise!" she pouted.

Jean and Eren laughed. Eren was thankful she finally came to take over however. His feet had been killing him this whole time even though he wouldn't admit it aloud. He had no right to complain about it either, the whole staff was probably tired as well after so many hours.

* * *

><p>Yet another busy day went by pretty fast, and before he knew it, Eren was back in his apartment, kicking off his shoes and dragging his heavy body across his living room and into his bedroom. It was so hot in there, and he regretted not getting an air condition for his flat. A fan would suffice, at least in his bedroom, he didn't mind. He had a ceiling fan in his living room, but it was very old and never worked properly. It spun too slowly, barely relieving the heat inside the room, so Eren never used it. All he could do was open all his windows wide to air the whole place out, but it would usually bring in a set of uninvited bugs that had a habit of biting his ass in the middle of the night. Especially in summer. Well, it's not like he had another choice, unless he wanted to suffocate in heat while asleep. He undressed, shedding his clothes in a pile around his feet as he slipped in something more comfortable and light. No shirt tonight, <em>too<em> damn hot.

He spent the rest of his evening eating snacks in front of the TV in the living room, practically being reduced into a couch potato as he had no energy for anything else. There wasn't much in any of the channels as he constantly surfed through them, sometimes halting on a channel for a second before moving on to the next. His eyes were clearly on the screen, but his mind was clouded by something else that had nothing to do with the TV one bit.

He had Levi in his head, though he didn't know how to feel about it. As he unconsciously pressed buttons on the remote with one hand and bringing food to his mouth with the other, he wondered what that man was doing right now.

_Is he okay? Is he safe? Is he feeding at all?_

There wasn't a second that passed that he didn't think of Levi's whereabouts, especially these recent days. It's okay to worry, but it was stupid to exaggerate this much. Levi is a capable man, hungry or not. What he wasn't sure about was why, _why_ was he always in his mind? It bugged him from time to time, it was strange since there literally was no good reason for him to strain so much over one person. Especially Levi.

It drove him to a point where he always had his bedroom's window kept open at nights, in case he suddenly appeared out of thin air and immediately talk to him, yell at him, blame and scold him, call him a brat and beat the hell out of him-_anything_. Though that never happened much to Eren's irritation.

With a loud huff, he turned the TV off and put the snacks aside. He'd rather go to bed to cool his head off than idly stare at the screen that had nothing interesting to offer him. Or get unnecessary calories from junkfood. Or think of him.

Going to bed early was so natural by now, it would be weird for him to sleep after 10. He just slipped between the covers of his bed and sighed against his pillow, bringing it close to his face and smiling at the cool fabric against his heated cheek. The covers were light and comfortable, though he occassionally slipped either of his legs out incase he felt too hot later. He fell asleep almost immediately.

His eyes were heavy and his breathing grew steadier. Even when a few dogs out in the neighborhood started to bark and whine in obvious nervousness, Eren was too far away to care about that now. He'd already be dreaming by now but-

_Thud! _

Eren's eyes shot open instantly, breath stilling from the loud noise emitted right behind him. Staring intensely at the wall in front of him, Eren uneasily gulped in the sudden tight lump in his dry throat. He heard loud shuffling and careless footsteps behind his back accompanied with.. a growl. An unfriendly rumble, low and dangerous that reached Eren's ears and travelled down his body through freezing chills. Fear flashed across his wide eyes, and Eren instinctively sat up to turn around slowly, _cautiously_.

"...Levi." he muttered under his teeth with a hesitant voice, clutching tighly on the covers that draped over his waist down. He stared at the shaking figure before him, crouching on the floor further away, his eyes glowing unnaturally in the dark, nails scraping madly on the floor boards, scarring them noisily. Eren pressed himself against the wall behind him, gasping in realization. _This isn't Levi_.. Most of his clothing were torn apart, the patches of fabric that had been missing from his shirt made his heaving chest visible, sweat glinting over his skin under the moonlight casted from the window he came in through so sloppily.

This wasn't Levi. Not anymore. What Eren was looking at was an uncontrollable monster who wanted nothing more than to tear him open and _eat_. Eren started to tremble, desperately pressing himself further into the wall, trying to gain more distance between him and Levi-or whatever _the fuck_ he is now.

It was true that he wanted to see him, wanted to know if he was safe, wanted him to come back. But not like this-never like this! It dawned on him at that moment when Eren dared to meet his glaring red gaze. He hadn't fed in a long, _long_ time. He was hungry.

Levi was hazardously, critically, _dangerously_ hungry. And Eren was in deep shit.

"L-..Levi?" he stuttered worriedly, cautiously bringing up the covers over his chest as if to shield his exposed skin as much as possible, not that it helped in any way. He knit his eyebrows down to a frown, observing Levi's movements from across the room. He still shook and still made those inhumanly animalistic sounds that rumbled in his throat, eyes unfocused but perceptive.

Eren was about to call his name again, but Levi suddenly howled and jumped forward, instantly catching Eren underneath him and getting rid of the covers, causing the younger man to yelp in utter panic. Eren squirmed, or tried. His hands were firmly pressed down on either side of his head by Levi's grip, body heavily straddling his waist to keep him still. Eren groaned lightly, twisting his wrists painfully to set them free and kicking his feet up, but to no avail.

"S-stop..!" Eren tried, tears slowly forming in the corners of his eyes. But this Levi had no reason, only desire. He hung his head low, flashing his sharp teeth at the other, inspiring fear into him as Levi's eyes roamed all over his shivering body, licking his lips and breathing heavily. Levi could practically _hear_ Eren's blood rushing through his veins, colouring his cheeks and driving his heart insane. He squeezed harshly at Eren's wrists as a warning to stop writhing like a fish out of water, bringing his face close to his neck.

"Nn.." Eren mewled, "N-no.." he screwed his eyes shut, looking the other way and shuddering when he felt a warm tongue trailing up his neck. Levi grinned a devilish grin, the smell of the man beneath him overwhelmed his nose and he dared to lick again, right over a vein located under Eren's chin. Eren hated to admit when he realized that Levi was fucking playing with him. Playing with his _damn food_.

"Pl-please..," Eren yelped, "Just get t-this over with.." it wasn't a good time to feel embarrassed, but he wanted this to end just as quickly as it started. The idea of him being looked at and treated like a piece of meat wasn't at all comforting, and the way Levi had him pinned down so easily didn't help with his pumping heart.

He expected another impatient growl from above, but he received a dark unpredictable chuckle. Eren didn't open his eyes to see, too scared to witness what Levi had become.

Levi didn't even hesitate, he dived right in and bit down on Eren's neck with no regard for his health. A monster wouldn't care either way. Blood flooded in his mouth as Levi slowly drained Eren's life down his throat and gulped messily. He loosened his grip over Eren's wrists, instead wrapping his arms around the other's waist, bringing him up to a sitting position right on his lap. Eren whimpered in light shock as he was brought up, hands immediately lacing around Levi's shoulders weakly to support himself. His mind grew dizzy and his head spun, feeling faint and powerless in seconds. It had been a while, so it was a little more painful than he anticipated, though the cold chills that ran down his spine when those sharp teeth sunk in still got him flustered. Levi's behaviour tamed with every gulp of blood, calming down now as he slowly gained his senses back and pushed that demonized monster away.

When his feeding finally came to a stop an agonizing while later, Eren had already been reduced into a breathless pile in his arms, drawing in harsh breaths against Levi's shoulder where he laid his dizzy head that probably couldn't even function properly from the blood loss.

He could almost feel nothing but the aching pain on his neck, liquid dripping from his wound, eyes too heavy to open. But it was okay. Everything's okay now. Because Levi isn't hungry anymore. He was back to normal, and Eren smiled faintly, albeit unconsciously.

Levi still had him in his arms, now being in his right state of mind as he carefully lapped up the blood that oozed out lazily from the fresh bite he had just made, licking him clean and causing another shudder to make its way down Eren's motionless body. Gently, he laid Eren back on the bed and got up from it, wiping his mouth with his shirt. Eren was already knocked unconscious, breathing heavily but the panic was gone, Levi noticed.

He sighed loudly, bringing a hand up at his face and rubbing at his eyes tiredly. "Shit.." he huffed, "_Fuck._" and gritted his bloodied teeth. He shouldn't have done that-he almost _killed_ the brat if he had gone any further than he already had.

But he had no time to think about that now. He carefully placed his hand on Eren's forehead to check if he was feverish but to his surprise, he wasn't at all. He was as white as paper and his lips turned blue while sweat covered him whole. It wasn't a pleasant sight Levi would ever grow fond of, there was always regret hitting him hard every time he was done. With a frustrated groan, he worriedly ran his hand through his messy hair and bent over Eren's sleeping figure.

"_Shitty fucking brat_," Levi spat loudly, it wouldn't wake the other up anyway. His hand wavered over Eren's pale one, but eventually he curled his fingers over Eren's and sighed, squeezing lightly. "I'm sorry." he muttered.

"Fuck, I am so sorry.." he never would've gussed he'd apologized first, but here he was, doing just that.

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><p>The next morning, Eren found it hard to wake up. His head pounded badly and spun uncontrollably as his body shook weakly. It was hard to sit up from the bed, even worse to get out of it, so he decided to lay still for a little longer. Again, there were no signs of Levi anywhere, except of the pile of dirty and torn out clothes scattered around his bedroom's floor. Those were definitely Levi's. Other than the clothes, there was nothing else left behind that indicated someone was with Eren a few hours back. Hell, his room was even spotless clean. The marks carved on the wooden floor board which were scraped by Levi's nails the previous night weren't even too visible anymore. Did Levi clean his room before leaving? Eren didn't know, and thinking too hard at the moment wasn't a good idea.<p>

But he couldn't believe Levi actually came back. Or well, his_ hunger_ led him back to Eren. Either way, he felt bad. He couldn't even imagine how hungry the guy was, how desperate he was to eat after a whole month. Did he really not eat at all? And, Eren didn't even get a chance to apologize to him.. He couldn't even get their previous argument out of his mind still. After all, it was his fault that Levi turned out like that. His fault that he was forced to turn into a mindless beast and come back to show him just that. At this moment, it didn't really matter who was right and who was wrong anymore, it still came to this.

With a light groan, he tried lifting his body up from the bed to sit upwards, succeeding effortfully. He brought a hand up to his face, rubbing his sleepiness away before glancing down at his digital clock on the nightstand. But instead of looking at the time, he noticed something peculiar standing right next to the clock. A bottle of prune juice. When did _that_ get there? Undeneath the plastic bottle, a note had been pinned down and Eren gulped before snatching it up.

_-Used your shower and borrowed some clothes. I left juice on your nightstand and you better drink it, fucking brat. I left some fruits in the kitchen as well. Eat them before I force them down your throat, you little shit._

_-Levi_

Eren ran a finger over Levi's note, amused by how expressive he can be even when writing. He missed that dry humour a little too much. Eren couldn't resist a smile.

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><p><strong>I enjoyed writing this chapter! Reviews are appreciated!<strong>


	6. Chapter 6

**Oh, Hi.**

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><p><em>Chapter 6.<em>

Going to work was the worst thing Eren had to do right after losing so much blood a few hours before. The fruits and juice left by Levi helped little with his health, but he was still too weak to walk a straight line without staggering every so often and bringing a hand up to wipe his sweating forehead. He never thought it was possible to get dressed and ready for work, but here he is now, a few minutes away from the lounge café, walking tiredly. He stopped every now and then to catch his breath, and the sun above scorched at his back, a thing that didn't help at all with his situation.

He cursed under his breath, receiving weird looks from people who passed by, but he didn't care. In his hand, he clutched tightly on the small note Levi left in the morning, glancing at it once or twice. He wasn't sure why he brought it with him, he didn't even realized he had it between his fingers until he was already out of his apartment. With a sigh, he stopped for a moment to look at it properly, letting his mind wonder.

How long can he keep this up? How long will he let this man continue to leave him on the verge of death whenever he pleased before Eren finally collapsed? It was so unfair that he could easily forget how to hate Levi, neglecting the fact that the man may be the end of him some day. It was frustrating to know that Eren couldn't feel any negativity about that fucked up situation, even though he clearly should. _Damn him_ for making Eren feel this way. _Damn him_ for reducing him to a pale and panting mess every time, for the way he would take care of his said mess and push aside Eren's will to loathe him. _Damn_ his red eyes.

He huffed in exhaustion, eyeing the note for a second while finally picking up his pace, worried he might miss a few minutes of work again. Not that it mattered much with his state.

"Woah, watch it." Eren's face found itself bumping softly on someone's broad chest as he wasn't looking where he was going. He yelped in shock.

"I-I'm sorry!" Eren shrieked, and the note slipped through his fingers, landing beside the stranger's leather boots. _Leather boots on a summer day like this?_ Woah.

The person was tall and obviously built, and Eren regretted it when he looked up to meet his stern, but soft, blue eyes. The man studied him with a cocked eyebrow before noticing the little paper on the ground.

"No problem at all," his voice was deep, "I didn't see you there. Here, let me get it for you." he offered politely, bending down to grab on the piece of paper and handing it back to Eren. It wasn't his conscious intention, but the man was about to read the note when Eren suddenly snatched it from his hands before he could start, slightly embarrassed. As if he'd let _anyone_ read it. The man looked a little surprised.

"Uhm, thanks. I, I am really sorry I bumped into you." Eren apologized, bowing his head respectfully. The man shook his head and smiled,

"Ah, as I said, no worries." He stared the young man up and down, finally seeing how pale his face was, how his green eyes fought to stay open. He inhaled, ready to speak—

"Erwin!" their eye contact broke when, suddenly, a woman appeared in front of them, grinning energetically. She acknowledged Eren's presence immediately, waving a hand at him.

"Yo." She says, turning toward the tall man. "Have you found anything yet?"

"Unfortunately no. We'll have to keep searching." The man, Erwin, nodded lightly at his companion. Eren felt rather small before them, though he didn't dare to say anything. He shyly took a step to the side.

"U-uhm! Sorry for being in your way." He said lamely.

The woman glanced at Eren with a wide smile, "Oh? Erwin, who's this?" interest sparked in her eyes behind those black glasses she wore, but she retreated when Erwin touched her shoulder.

"We accidentally bumped into each other," the tall blond man explained, "But all's good now. Listen, we have to go." Erwin said. It almost sounded like a warning. He nodded at Eren's direction, "My apologies for earlier. We'll be leaving now."

Eren mimicked his nod, "Good day."

He watched as Erwin dragged the jumpy woman with him and passing by him quickly. A sudden gust of warm wind danced between them, causing the khaki jackets both strangers wore to wave. There was a crest on the back; Two wings joined together, hovering over what seemed to be a white shield. For a second, those wings seemed too real for Eren when the jackets waved freely, he had to blink away the illusion. He lingered there until they were out of sight. _Who were they?_ He couldn't help but wonder.

He exhaled loudly, shoving the note in his jean pocket incase it ever slipped through his grasp again, and fished his phone out. He sighed in relief to know that he still had plenty of time before he was considered late for work. So he quickly picked up his pace once more, literally jogging to Maria's Café.

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><p>Eren silently thanked everything Holy for having little work to do today. Unlike the weekends, this time it wasn't any close to being full with people at all, which Eren was so grateful for. It would have been different if he was healthy, but of course it was easier said than done when his body didn't fully followed what his mind told it to do when needed. He was lucky he didn't faint at all either. Jean gave him weird looks as he worked, but he didn't mention anything. And Eren was even <em>more<em> thankful that Mikasa didn't visit, else she'd flip her shit once she realized Eren was falling once again. And he already had enough of that to last for a while.

But now, he was outside the café, leading his way back to his apartment lazily with a bottle of water in his hand.

"Good work today, Eren." Krista had told him before he left, and Eren nodded cheerfully at her. It was the last thing he heard after finally leaving the noisy place. Even if it didn't mean anything, Krista's words always worked magic that tend to relax Eren after a long day. He really needed that, too.

_**oOo**_

He had been walking for a little while, turning from one corner to the other, navigating himself automatically. The map to his home was memorized in his head so well, he'd go blindfolded if he had to and _still_ find his way to his apartment. It was kind of a funny thought.

Eren smiled faintly, eyes falling on to his worn out sneakers as he walked. He felt a little better now, at least. Yet, all he wanted to do was slump down on his couch and probably not move _at all_. Hell, he'd sleep on his couch. His couch was the nearest furniture to his apartment's door that would resemble a bed. Even if his bedroom was only down the small hall adjoined with the living room, Eren bet he wouldn't make the distance before dropping to the floor out of exhaustion. The couch wasn't exactly uncomfortable to sleep on either, and perhaps he could even use his shitty ceiling fan, _if_ it ever worked properly.

He sighed some, bringing the bottle to his lips for a sip, trying to ignore the afternoon summer heat that lingered in the air. The piece of paper in his pocket felt like it burned through the fabric of his jeans, almost inviting. But he refused to look at it for now, afraid of the negative thoughts ignited by simply staring at the hand written letters on the note, just like this morning. He didn't want to think about anything related to Levi. Neither good, nor bad. Because Eren knew from yesterday..

Last night, _whoever _Levi was at that moment, he was even scarier than the time they met, Eren felt the vulnerability washing over him under the man's gaze. Last night when Eren thought it was his end, when he could taste his own defeat, he felt Levi's reassuring fingers around his. Last night, right before sleep overcame his powerless body, something soft echoes around, something real and _honest._

'_I'm sorry.'_

Eren frowned. He definitely heard Levi apologize.

_**oOo**_

He had been almost two blocks away from home—two blocks away from his _couch_ before freezing on the spot when he was unexpectedly met by the same woman from earlier this morning. She wore the same intriguing jacket with the wings on the back, but Erwin was nowhere to be seen. He would've avoided her and turn to a different road if she hadn't seen him already, standing in the middle of the sidewalk with a stupefied expression. Something about her seemed off, Eren wasn't exactly fond of figuring that out.

"You.." Eren gaped, resisting the urge to rub his eyes to see if he was hallucinating, but of course he wasn't. What's she doing here, anyway? Does it relate to the brief conversation she had with Erwin, about trying to find something?

Her eyes still sparkled when she recognized him, grin still in place when she approached him with a wave of her hand. "Yo, kid!"

"Hi." Eren said, forcing a small smile.

"Fancy meeting you here, hm?"

"Uhm, I live close by." Eren nodded, "What about you?"

The woman's eyes glinted oddly, "Ah! Well, you see. I'm on search for someone very, _very _special. I heard that person lurks around this place, but so far no luck!"

"Ahaa, I see." Eren didn't know if he was supposed to feel awkward or confused, or both at the same time. She shifted her weight from one foot to another, rocking on the balls of her feet as she eyed the young man down. Eren wondered if she always was this energetic.

"So, what's your name? I didn't get a chance earlier since Erwin dragged me away."

"E-Eren. Eren Jaeger."

She thrust her hand forward, "Nice to meet you, Eren! I'm Hanji!" and they shook hands.

"Likewise." Eren smiled. "So, who's this person you're looking for?"

Again, Hanji's eyes seem to glint peculiarly at the question. "Someone _special_. A person I cherish to the fullest. Don't you have someone like that as well,_ Eren_?"

Eren blinked. "Uh, sure?"

"They went missing," Hanji spoke softly, "It took a few days to realize that person was gone. Took even more to find their location. Even now that I'm close, I still feel far away."

What was she talking about? Eren silently squeezed the plastic bottle in his hand, confusion displaying in his eyes. But Hanji suddenly laughed.

"Ah, what am I saying! I don't want to scare you off on the first day we met! Silly me." She giggled, sticking her tongue out playfully and flicking the side of her forehead with her fingers as if she was punishing herself for misbehaving.

"Yeah, no worries." Eren muttered. He sure wasn't willing to take the conversation any further, and so with a step back, he waved his hand at her.

"Alright then. I have to go," he started awkwardly, "Um, good luck with your search!"

He side stepped in one motion, trying to go around her but as soon as he did, Hanji's hand was around his arm, pulling him close to her chest. She bent down, chin hovering closely above his shoulder, eyes peering through her brown bangs, watching Eren observantly. Eren gulped at his sudden position, meeting her glinting gaze.

"I wonder," Hanji mumbled, gently releasing Eren's arm from her grip, "Why am I suddenly drawn to you?"

"Eh?" Eren blinked, tensing against her chest.

Hanji muttered under her breath, something about '_his smell'_ before shaking her head and drawing back.

She chuckled, "Ah, well. No use thinking about that. My apologies if I ever scared you so suddenly." Oh no, _not at fucking all._

Eren forced another smile, "N-no problem."

And then he watched her slowly walk away.

"Goodbye, Eren. It was _nice_ meeting you." She laughed, though she never looked back, even as she disappeared around the corner.

_...What the Fuck?_

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><p><strong>I think I was going too slow with the fic, though I do feel like I'm <strong>_**finally**_** getting somewhere now that I've introduced Erwin and Hanji in the story. What do you guys think?**

**Reviews are appreciated!**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N's: Just fyi, Adam does not play any significant role in the story.**

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><p><em>Chapter 7.<em>

A single street light flickered in the dead of the night, attracting buzzing bugs that, with unreasonable purposes, bump their heads into it as they fly by.

Pacing down the empty side walk at such an hour were four people, all wearing worn out khaki jackets, except the man in the middle, who nervously shook under his business suit. He seemed wary, looking around in desperate search of any means of escape, but his attempts were fruitless.

"You know, it's useless to try and escape now." The tallest one behind the shivering man said, all with a kind voice. This doesn't stop him from gasping in fear, his eyes falling on the woman walking in front of him. A young little thing, with a blond bun atop her head and indifferent blue eyes. She didn't seem like the kind of person who'd easily commit a crime, even with all the seriousness on her expression, but the man knew more than he could ask for—she was nothing but danger.

With a shaky inhale, he glanced around the area a last time and yelled, "Screw you, guys!" and bursts into a running fit before the rest could blink. The woman disinterestedly turned at the man who ran around a corner, disappearing from her view. With a tired sigh, she turned up to one of her companions.

"Reiner, fetch him for me. Make it quick."

Reiner, a well-built blond man, nodded at her request, casually turning around before breaking into a run to catch up to the escaping man. It didn't take long until he returned back, the man in the business suit draped limply over Reiner's shoulder.

"Ha, humans really _are_ something, aren't they, Annie?" Bertolt, the tallest one in the group, said with a smile, poking the unconscious man on the cheek. "I mean, what's the point in trying to escape, knowing you can't anyway?"

"I guess they like trying too much," Reiner added, looking at Annie who seemed to be indifferent to their conversation.

"What do you want me to do with him?" he asked, carefully adjusting the body over his shoulder so the man wouldn't fall as they continued to walk down the path of the side walk.

"For now, nothing." She said, "Once he wakes up, however, I expect a good interrogation. Get anything you can out of him." Her voice was cautiously low, but Reiner and Bert understood what she meant.

"What do you want us to do with him when _after_ we're done?" Bertolt asked curiously, expecting something in particular.

Annie turned around to look at the tall man in the eye. She smiled, rather innocently.

"Whatever you want."

_**oOo**_

"P-please, don't hurt me! I'll do anything!" the man screamed as he was howled against a dirty cobbled wall at some dark alley. Annie was already gone by the time he woke up, and they were nowhere near the side walk they had been just an hour ago. Reiner and Bertolt towered over him like tall beasts, inflicting fear into their prey.

"Silly, we won't hurt you. Just answer truthfully to our questions, and you'll be fine." Bert smiled reassuringly and Reiner glanced at him with a raised eyebrow.

"I'll tell you whatever you want! Just stay where you are, don't come any closer!" his legs buckled, hopelessly sliding down against the wall.

"Bravo." Bert nodded, "Now—Adam's your name, right?—Alright, Adam. Please answer our questions sincerely, and do so quickly, we haven't much time."

"I believe you are some sort of co-worker to a woman with the name, Petra Ral, correct? You guys work together at an open office." Reiner asked, getting into the subject immediately, arms strongly folded above his chest. Adam nodded vigorously.

"So, perhaps you know where she lives as well? Address, phone number, e-mail. Anything can do."

Adam was a stuttering mess throughout their whole interrogation, often falsely wording his responds, giving wrong information to the towering men, resulting Bertolt to repeat some of the questions, which played with everyone's patience. Eventually, he gave them what they asked, even writing down further details regarding the woman with the name Petra, though with shaky hands.

Once they finally got whatever they necessarily needed, Reiner sternly looked back at Bertolt in silence. Bert nodded lightly.

"Adam. Thank you for your cooperation." Reiner said, "But one more thing. Please, tell us a reason why we shouldn't kill you before you spill out tonight's events to anyone."

Adam froze, eyes widening in empty shock. Cold sweat ran down his forehead. "N-no! No, no! I promise I won't tell anyone! You said you wouldn't hurt me!" he begged, his pleads scattering through the air and falling into deaf ears.

Bertolt chuckled, "That's no way to treat a man, Reiner. He helped us greatly." His voice was calm, and he stepped in front of Adam, crouching down to his level, where the man seemed ready to literally spoil his pants.

"Adam," Bertolt called, casually petting his shoulder and giving it a light squeeze, causing Adam to jolt and stutter apologies in panic, "We're really sorry for the inconvenience. But.. Let us feed, okay?"

"N-no! No way! Stay the fuck _away_ from me!" he suddenly through a fit, thrashing about under Bert's tight grip, but the tall man wanted none of that. He smirked, eyes turning red.

"Truly, humans _are_ something." He didn't waste his time, silencing Adam after tearing his suit open and inhumanly ripping his shoulder to shreds, blood splattering across Bert's face, much to his pleasure. Adam choked, a disgusting gurgle escaping his throat, seizing his fit immediately when the stinging pain shot throughout him. He screamed hoarsely instead.

Reiner sighed, watching his companion eat messily in front of him. "Right after Annie told us not to make a mess.. Bert, really?" he sounded disappointed, but he took a step forward and crouched over their meal to join in.

"I don't see you complaining," Bert smiled against the bleeding flesh of Adam's neck, giving a good long lick to savor it as much as possible. Adam could do nothing but jolt up once, twice, before his body growing lifelessly limp, eyes wide and teary, mouth agape and bloody. He was nothing but a cold corpse now. And it didn't take long until Adam was nothing but a cold, _bloodless_ corpse either. His skin lost color, his body seeming to melt in his own pool of red as the men fed.

When Reiner stood, he cleared his throat and wiped his mouth. "Bert, we need to go. Annie must be waiting."

He heard the other man whine, though Bertolt nodded sadly and stood up as well, noticing how a few drops of blood covered his plain white T-shirt, and even on his jacket, not to mention the crimson smears all over his face.

"Awh, and I liked this shirt." Bert sighed, watching Reiner roll his eyes.

"Let's just get rid of the body, and we'll clean your damn shirt later." Bert's eyes lit up at Reiner's words, clapping his hands excitedly before doing what he was told, almost forgetting to wipe his face.

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><p><em><strong>oOo<strong>_

Days came and went rather peacefully after Eren's encounter with Levi. The man had visited him a few days right after his little demonized rampage, but it was to give Eren's clothes back, which were clean, folded neatly and smelt of fresh lemons. Eren's room felt so much smaller when Levi was there, kind of like feeling trapped in his own home.

Eren didn't know how to react to his presence, especially since his visit was so unexpected, though he was thankful he got his clothes back. After listening to Levi's unnecessary comment about how his shirt was a little oversized, Eren felt a little more lax and let out an awkward chuckle. But then, right after putting his clothes back into the closet, the air around them grew tense once more. Levi felt his chest tighten, and he was about to turn around and leave, but Eren was fast enough to grab his hand.

"Wait," Eren found himself muttering, his grip tightening around Levi's fingers, fearing he might run away again if he didn't hold tight enough. But Levi didn't move and his gaze fell on the floor, noticing the little scrapes on the wooden surface he created just a few days back. Memories of that night flooded through upon seeing them, and Levi had to look away before guilt conquered his gut.

"I—.." Eren tried, gnawing on his lip nervously. _I, what?_ He couldn't bring himself to say anything, even if there was plenty for him to start.

"How's your neck?" Levi asked softly, turning around to look at Eren properly. Even with the straight face and disinterested expression that Levi always wore, Eren could clearly see a different story in his eyes. There was nothing cold about how his grey orbs observed him, how they studied him under tired lids. Eren was forced to look away, as if he'd burn if they keep their eye contact for too long.

With a nod, he replied, "It's fine, it won't leave a scar."

His hand was still wrapped around the other's own when he felt Levi's touch against the side of his neck, causing him to flinch. But he didn't shy away. Levi trailed his fingers over Eren's healing wound which was rough under his fingertips. Cautiously, he curled his grip at the collar of the younger's shirt to tug it down lightly and give a good look at the bite. It was there alright, obvious with a small visible scab.

"Just give it a few more days, you'll see, it'll go away." Eren said reassuringly, blindly guessing how the man in front of him felt for his own handiwork that was obviously full of regret. He finally let go of Levi's hand, but this only makes Levi step closer.

The small, limited gap between them made Eren's cheeks turn pink, but Levi didn't notice.

"That time," Levi started with a controlled, monotone voice, "Back at the alley, you were nothing but meat with two legs, shaking like a damn leaf." He said simply, and this surprises Eren to a point where he glanced at him curiously, lips parted, though no sounds escaped his mouth.

"When our deal was made, I cared for nothing other than sucking your blood until you fainted. Satisfying my hunger was more important." Levi gritted his teeth, and his fingers unconsciously tighten around the collar of Eren's shirt. His eyes were still on the bite mark.

"It was more important," he repeated, but continued with a mutter, "So, why the hell did my priorities change?"

"Huh?" Eren hummed in confusion, wrinkling his eyebrows to a frown. When Levi spoke again, it was almost an inaudible whisper.

"Stupid brat," he huffed, "How dare you change my priorities.." and with that, he leant forward, resting his forehead against the younger man's shoulder. Eren's eyes widen, finding it unable to move as he let Levi's words sink in, real deep.

"Lev—"

"I'm sorry." He interrupted, "For almost getting you killed a dozen times, for treating you like a kid, even though you're still a damn _brat_. For everything." It was such a simple apology, and yet Eren's chest throbbed from it. No doubt, Levi could hear his heartbeat from where he lay his head.

Eren definitely didn't know how to respond to that, not with the way Levi's hand clung onto his shirt, wrinkling the fabric under his pale fingers. Not with the way he rested his forehead gently on his shoulder, silently bringing his lips closer to the bite mark and planting a kiss on it, in a comforting sort of way. Eren gasped.

"L—Levi?" Eren said, red in embarrassment. He couldn't stop a shiver that shook from his core.

"Don't make me repeat myself." Spat Levi, annoyed, "I'm sorry."

"But, I—!"

"Shitty _annoying_ brat." Levi scolded, quickly drawing his head back only to roughly tug Eren down to capture his lips for a kiss.

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><p><strong>Reviews are cookies that I happily accept.<strong>


	8. Chapter 8

**Thanks to everyone who have followed, faved, and reviewed! You guys rock.**

**Hope you readers had a Merry Christmas. Enjoy.**

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><p><em>Chapter 8.<em>

There was nothing _erotic_ about the kiss. Nor anything romantic like some sort of act with a special kind of meaning. It wasn't what Eren felt at that moment, at least. When their lips touched, he knew this was out of desperation, as if Levi was giving him clear, _solid proof_ of his apology right against his mouth. As if Levi didn't want Eren to _just_ hear it, but feel it too, with the way his mouth closed over his greedily.

And Eren accepts it.

Maybe not right at the moment Levi had attacked his lips, but Eren was excused for being a little slow in reacting to what was really going on. He flung his arms around the shorter man, bringing him closer as he felt the frown on his face disappear along with the initial shock, all replaced by something different, something warmer.

Before he knew, he accepted it all.

_**oOo**_

"Are you sulking?"

"No."

"Okay. Can you tell me _why_ you're sulking?"

"No."

"Eren?"

"No."

This time, Eren received a light slap on the side of his head, "Snap out of it!" he heard before hissing in pain. He wasn't sure what he was doing in Maria's Café on a day off, sitting in one of the booths of the lounge with Armin, face planting the table in childish depression. Just a few hours ago, he was at home, arms tightly laced around Levi's shoulders, holding for dear life. And they kissed. He shouldn't have been depressed about it, but sure enough, he is.

He didn't even touch his iced tea he ordered from Marco, who worked every Sunday until afternoon when Eren had his day off.

How could Armin _not_ be worried when his friend was in such a depressing state? He could imagine mushrooms growing all over him if he sulked any more than he did. When Eren finally lifted his head up to look at his childhood friend, he gave him a weak smile.

"Sorry. I just feel like literal shit."

"I can see that," Armin said, "But why? What happened to you?" he asked worriedly, sipping from his glass of water. He was beginning to think it might have been a bad idea accepting Eren's invitation to the café if all Eren did was pout.

Eren sighed. He would've spilled everything out, if it weren't so complicated. It would've been so easy to talk about all the _shit_ he's been going through since last winter, if it weren't so _fucking_ complicated.

"I—.." Eren begun, "Well. I'm not so sure myself," he lied.

"Huh?" Armin's eyebrow cocked up, "Are you on your period?" this causes Eren to laugh a little. Laughing in realization of how pathetic he looked right now. He doesn't respond to the question.

Silence overcame their booth, but not for too long. Armin hadn't tried to bring the conversation any further, since he knew most likely that Eren would have spoken to him in riddles dipped in depression. So, he remained silent for Eren to collect his thoughts and speak for himself. He could see the trouble in those green eyes, which were usually sparkling lively, but they looked so blank now. What happened to him, really?

"Hey, Armin?" the brunette finally spoke, and Armin peered at him with a glance.

"Yes?"

"Do you love me?" it was the blonde's turn to respond with a hearty laugh, this doesn't mean he fully understood Eren's question.

"What the Hell? Of course I do, but what does that have to do with you being all dull and down?"

"I have no idea," Eren smiled, "I guess I wanted to make sure."

"About what?"

"What love is. Friendship love, family love, romantic love. Shit like that." He chuckled, finally bringing himself to take a long sip of his iced tea. Armin's confusion wasn't only showing, it was screaming '_what the fuck'_ loud and clear.

"Eren. _What_ happened?" he had a serious tone, and Eren would have flinched if he weren't so down.

"Do.. Do you remember Levi? The guy with the friendly attitude." Eren smiled knowingly, and Armin cocked an eyebrow at him.

"Oh, how can I forget. What about him?" he was beginning to feel suspicious.

"He uh, we.. Got kinda close."

"More specifically?"

"We kissed."

Armin's blue eyes widened greatly, parting his lips as he gasped out when he finally pieced everything together in a puzzle that would have been impossible to solve if Eren hadn't gotten straight to the point. But still, his confusion didn't fully dissipate.

"Wait," Armin said, deadpanning at Eren, "You are sulking because you were _kissed?_ You really are on your period, aren't you."

"Armin, cut that out," Eren chuckled, "It's new to me."

"It certainly isn't your first kiss, what's so new about it?"

_Oh, you know, it's a new experience being kissed by the same person who almost kills you once a month, yeah._ But of course, he couldn't say _that_, now could he?

Sigh, "I guess, it was too sudden for me is all. I don't know what to do."

"What _do_ you want to do?" Armin asked, lips against the glass of water before taking a proper sip. "You're a grown man, this should be a walk in the park." The blond stated so casually, and Eren knew he was right. But that's what scared him the most.

It should've been easy to know what he wanted from this, but as the memories of Levi's lips pressed against his played continually in his mind, he just couldn't end up with a solid answer for himself. Sure, he liked it, the kiss was rather comforting and reassuring, and warm and wet. It was everything it shouldn't be, but Eren enjoyed it nonetheless. He had the urge to touch the healing bite mark on his neck, but that would reveal too much at this point, so he kept it hidden right under the grey shirt he wore.

"A walk in the park in the middle of the night, with a broken leg, yeah sure." Eren laughed ridiculously, and Armin joined in with a delicate roll of his eyes.

"Fine, sulk all you want, see if I care." Armin smiled, "Just answer this," he raised a finger, still keeping up a serious look. Eren tilted his head curiously.

"He a good kisser?"

Eren laughed, "Yeah."

"Then I bet he's good with everything else." Armin smirked playfully, causing Eren to awkwardly clear his throat.

"How childish of you to say that."

"No, really. You need to learn to relax more," Armin nodded, "If you liked the kiss so much, I don't see a problem. You should give it a chance. Besides, you can always back out if you feel it necessary."

_Easy for you to say. _"Yeah, I guess." It's not like Armin was wrong, Eren knew this. But giving it a chance was what sounded frightening. Could he ever give a chance, to Levi nonetheless? What if the kiss didn't mean anything to Levi other than a mere act of desperation?

"Just be wary," Armin dragged him out of his thoughts.

"Hm?"

"Mikasa will kick you," the blond laughed, and Eren slapped a hand on his forehead in realization.

"Awh, fuck. She's going to _kill_ me if she hears this—and she'll definitely have Levi's head on a silver platter afterwards! She despises him." he gasped, causing his friend to laugh at the detailed image taking form in his mind.

"Nah, she'll have to get used to it." Armin reassured, extending his arm out to rest his hand over Eren's. The brunette glanced down at their intertwined fingers.

"Listen. I wasn't kidding when I said you should give it a try." He said with knitted brows, "I personally think you should anyway."

Eren frowned lightly at this. His fingers tightened around Armin's, squeezing him as a silent act of approval. He finally felt ready to agree with his childhood friend.

"I wouldn't know anything until I try, right?"

Armin smiled. "Yeah."

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><p><em><strong>oOo<strong>_

"Hi."

Eren jumped, "_Hi?!_ You scared the _fuck_ out of me!" his arms flailed in the air when Levi appeared in front of him out of thin air. He just got back home from his outing with Armin almost ten minutes ago, he didn't even have time to settle in before getting a heart attack.

"Did you not see me coming in through the window?" Levi pointed at the ajar window of his room, unaware of Eren's discomfort. Eren shook his head, heart still racing, though he didn't know if it was from the previous scare or for the fact that Levi was standing right _there._

He could hardly deal with him right after the kiss they shared this morning, how is he supposed to deal with him now?

"What are you doing here?" Eren asked, and his voice almost cracked at his own nervousness. He locked his gaze with Levi's, but his intimidating stare forced Eren to look away after a moment.

"Am I suddenly not welcomed, shitty brat?" Levi growled, "What's with you?"

"Nothing! You just startled me. Please stop doing that." Eren sighed, rubbing his forehead tiredly.

Levi rolled his eyes, jerking Eren's hand away from his face and tugging him closer.

"I won't do it again," Levi muttered, pecking Eren on the lips causing the latter to go red, though he didn't feel Eren pull away. When they part, the younger of the two gasped.

Levi smirked, "What's with the red face?"

Eren had to take a step back, embarrassed by suddenly being too close. "Nothing."

"Don't tell me, you got flustered by just a kiss? You're too easy."

"That's not it! You're just so.. Unpredictable." Eren confessed, gnawing on his lower lip.

"Am I now?" Levi blinked, stepping closer to rest his hand flatly against Eren's chest. He could feel the man's pounding heart, drumming softly against his fingertips.

"Would you prefer if I were not, then?" his hand slowly made its way to Eren's hip, and Eren nearly squirmed.

"You're fine." Eren muttered hesitantly, still looking away, "You're fine like this." And this time he didn't feel abash when Levi took a hold of his chin, faced him properly and covered his lips with his own.

Within seconds, Eren found his back pressed against the mattress of his bed, gasping for air with his head lolled to the side as, on top of him, Levi trailed harsh kisses all over his neck, under his jaw, his chin and all the way up to his mouth. He could hear his shirt tearing apart, and Eren drew back.

"Why do you keep tearing my clothes?" he whined, looking down at his shirt, too late to save it now as it was literally torn in half, revealing skin underneath.

Levi smiled, "Why not?" and he pushed the unwanted clothing away, leaving Eren shirtless. His eyes wandered about, catching the little bite mark on his neck, but he thought nothing of it.

"I won't have anything to wear later," the younger one pouted, feeling Levi's lips ghost over the shell of his ear, sending shivers down his body.

"I wouldn't mind." He gave a short lick, leaning back to admire the blush dusted on Eren's cheeks. The brat had a nice expression, face twisted in embarrassment and arousal.

Levi got rid of his own shirt, discarding it right over Eren's shredded one that lay on the floor. When he leant back down, their noses touched.

"How far will you let me go?" he whispered, his breath ghosting over Eren's lips that seem to quiver, and the brunette gasped as Levi ran a hand down his inner thigh, displeased that he's still wearing pants, and anything else underneath.

Eren mewled in response, looking up at Levi. "I—I don't know."

Levi sighed, resisting another roll of his eyes. "You don't know if you wanna fuck?"

"W—what?!" Eren gasped. Out of all times, he couldn't believe he was acting like a damn _virgin_ now. He wasn't one either, but Eren found it impossible not to writhe under him.

"You really are a brat," Levi spat, kissing him without warning. He decided that exchanging words wouldn't really take them anywhere, so Levi turned his words into actions, clumsily pulling Eren's pants down along with his undergarments, leaving him exposed.

The brunette grunted beneath the other's rough hands, feeling his hands everywhere at the same time, but the places that needed the most attention were awfully neglected, it caused a whine to crawl out his throat. He sounded impatient, needy, but he didn't have it in him to say what he _really_ wanted.

"Eren," Levi breathed, parting the other's legs so he could position himself between them, feeling his clothed arousal brushing against Eren's eager one.

Levi kissed him briefly, pulling away only to groan lowly when he grinded his hips down against Eren's. The brunette's head fell back, mouth parting to produce a low a moan. His cheeks were burning red, still feeling vulnerably exposed to the other, but Levi's touches comforted him, and the way he says his name leaves him excited.

Before he knew it, Levi was once again on his neck, attacking with growing sharp teeth, scraping gently on his skin, but not enough to break. Under heavy eye lids, Eren could hear Levi growl, felt his body twitch and shudder on top of him. Was he going to bite him?

"_Fuck,_" Levi spat, resisting that delicious urge to add more pressure to his jaw and simply _bite._ He wasn't hungry, but that didn't mean he wasn't tempted either. Instead, his buried his nose in the crook of Eren's neck, still keeping up a slow rhythm with his hips, triggering pleasurable friction between them.

"Nnh, you smell _so_ good.." Levi breathed, inhaling deeply, taking in Eren's unique body odor. "I want to fucking _eat_ you."

Eren gasped loudly, unable to respond to that. He didn't sound threatening at all, though it successfully made his body jolt.

Suddenly, Levi pulls back, giving some space for Eren to breathe, but not for long. Within seconds, he repositions himself, drawing back a little to face Eren's pulsing erection. He reacts quickly, taking it in his grasp and brining his lips closer, letting his tongue dart out to playfully lick at the tip.

"No, Lev-..ah!" Eren panted, back arching slightly to the sudden pleasure that ran through him. His eyes closed automatically, and he unconsciously rested a hand shyly atop Levi's head, his fingers weaving through black strands of hair when Levi suddenly bobs his head down, filling his mouth as much as he could.

It didn't take long for Levi to reduce the other in a moaning mess, with the way his tongue played across the tip, the way his hand moved roughly over the shaft and the way he took him all in and _sucked_. Eren was about to lose his mind, muttering ecstatic nothings under his breath, it was hard to keep his voice low. Sometimes, he'd repeat Levi's name, having nothing else in his mind at the moment, and this makes Levi groan around his length, giving more effort to pleasure the other with his mouth.

And just like that, Eren came undone, mewling desperately as a shudder rushed through him. His head fell back on the pillow beneath him.

"Le…vi.." he tried with a choked gasp, eyes rolling back as he came. In response, Levi grunted, keeping his lips pressed around the tip of Eren's cock, and he had to screw his eyes shut when Eren shot his load into his mouth.

He sighed through his nose, audibly gulping in whatever Eren offered. For Levi, it had no taste, but it was thick and warm on his tongue, just like blood. It aroused him all the more. He gave a few more licks on the tip before pulling away, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand as he watched Eren tremble all over, still feeling the afterglow of great release.

He couldn't help but chuckle at his reduced state, leaning forward to kiss his forehead.

"You okay, brat?"

Eren's head lolled to the side and his eyelids drooped lazily. "Nnh," he moaned, not quite able to say anything else, exhaustion slowly kicking in.

Levi eyes narrowed, "Don't you dare sleep on me now, you little shit."

Eren blinked, "What?"

Levi smirked widely, "It's not over yet." He caressed Eren's sides, licking a trail from his collarbone and up to his neck, once again finding himself affectionately kissing the healing bite mark.

"The night's still young," he whispered against Eren's sweat covered skin.

Eren grew flustered at his words, fruitlessly squirming underneath him. He suddenly wasn't entirely sure if Armin was right for suggesting him to give this.._ thing_ a chance.

"B-but, it's not even eight!" Eren pressed, glancing at the digital clock on his nightstand. He grew worried.

But Levi ignored Eren's weak attempts, letting out another light chuckle, "Not even eight, huh?"

He kissed him. "Perfect."

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><p><strong>AN's: Sorry for the wait, and probably for this lazily written chapter(wrote it really quickly in less than two hours). I haven't updated in a while, since I've been busy being in a Christmas-y mood and whatnot, but I figured I owe you guys a little.. Christmas gift? **

**I wasn't planning on writing something so lewd yet, but eh, why not. I hope you guys liked it nonetheless, I enjoyed writing it. So, put yo hands up if you into blowjob smuttiness (yaay?).**

**Merry Christmas guys, and I wish you a Happy New Year. (And belated Happy Birthday, Levi. Stay awesome, bro.)**


	9. Chapter 9

**Bye, bye 2014. Hello **_**2015**_**! May this year be awesome for you, readers. **

**Bonus Chapter!**

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><p><em>Chapter 8.5<em>

"Hey, Levi?" Eren asked in a mumble, turning his chin up to look at Levi.

"What?" he received a lazy reply and a light stroke over his lower back.

"What do I taste like? You never to—"

Levi glared down at Eren before he could finish. He was unintentionally taken aback, but he didn't mean to seem offended. He was surprised by the question. Eren chuckled awkwardly, shaking his head.

"Never mind, so—"

"Why do you want to know, all of a sudden?" Levi interrupted, shifting on the bed lightly to bring Eren closer. Eren's head was right under his chin, and Levi brought a hand up to play with his hair. Eren looked troubled for a moment, and he bit his lip in thought. He wanted to approach the subject in way that wouldn't further offend the other even more.

"I am not sure. I guess, I remembered you telling me about how I tasted different, but you never mentioned in what way. I was curious." he explained, lightly nuzzling against Levi's hand that rested atop his head. His fingers were warm and comforting, Eren realized, and he smiled at the feeling. From above, he heard a sigh.

Levi spoke, "Well, it's not that easy to describe. I can't simply say that you taste like _chicken_," Eren laughed at the comment, "But it's not about the taste at all to begin with."

"What do you mean?" Eren asked, unconsciously running his fingers over Levi's bare chest, reaching his abdomen under the thin sheets.

"For us, blood has no specific taste, regardless of who or what it is that we feed from. It doesn't have a wide variety of flavors, though it does taste different if the person or animal is ill, or is suffering under something that affects the circulatory system."

Eren was slightly confused. He never thought of it that way. "So, I don't taste like anything particular?"

"Not really," Levi nodded, "As I said, it has nothing to do with taste." he stated, looking down to meet Eren in the eye. Hie cupped Eren's cheek, sliding his thumb gently over his lower lip. "You remind me of home." he said, "I can't describe it any other way."

Eren couldn't entirely understand the meaning behind Levi's final answer, but he felt rather satisfied about it. It sounded right. So, he smiled faintly and pecked Levi on the lips.

"Where is your home, anyway?" Eren mumbled against his lips, and the older man chuckles sweetly, which surprised Eren. He decided he liked that sound.

"This might sound sad, but I have no home." he smiled at Eren's questioning look. "Perhaps that is why I found you—_your flavor_—so unique. You remind me of something I never had."

Eren couldn't keep his confusion hidden. He felt as if Levi was speaking to him in riddles, and maybe that was the case. He didn't think about it too much as Levi spoke again with a smirk.

"In other words, I am glad I almost killed you back at that alley."_ I am glad I met you._

Eren blushed faintly by the way Levi formed his feelings into words. He huffed stubbornly, leaning up for another kiss.

"Asshole."

"Brat."

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><p><strong>Reviews are welcomed.<strong>


	10. Chapter 10

**The year hasn't even begun and work's been piling up on me, so updates will take longer than usual. Really sorry for the wait, guys. Hopefully next chapter will be up earlier than this. **

**Excuse me while I throw some plot in this one. Have I ever mentioned how much I love a ****crazy**** Hanji?**

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><p><em>Chapter 9.<em>

Summer was always cruel when it came to heat. Eren knows this all too well. It's not like he didn't like the season, it was the exact opposite in fact, but sometimes the sun showed no mercy to a point where Eren was brought down to his knees, reaching his physical limits.

It was a normal Wednesday, normal aside from the merciless heat that sipped through from the wide open doors of the Café, and Eren couldn't help but feel disgusted by the way he sweat like a pig while taking orders in from anonymous customers. He didn't know how the rest of the people take the heat, especially since the lounge only had one a/c running for the whole establishment, despite it being a small, cozy place. Even Jean was more lax, he didn't seem to be suffering that much from the hot summer weather, but Eren thought he was just too distracted from work to care about how hot his body felt at the moment.

Eren could've done the same, get distracted with waiting tables, scribbling orders down on his little notepad, keeping up a healthy smile and greeting everyone with a charming Hello. But it was more than a challenge. All he could do now was bear with it and wait till the afternoon came, when the sun would hung low on the horizon and his shift would finally be over for the day.

For now, Eren walked back to the bar, handed the orders to Jean and took a seat on one of the empty stools, waiting for Jean to make the drinks for their customers.

"You look like shit," Jean commented, though he wasn't looking back at the waiter, his eyes were low on his hands as he professionally made the drinks without errors.

"Thanks." Eren nodded lazily, tugging at the collar of his shirt as if that would relieve him a little from the heat. But that did not work, of course, and his skin felt itchy as the fabric of his shirt stuck against it from sweat.

"Maybe you need a day off, or a week." Jean flashed him a toothy grin, already done with a couple of the drinks and placing them on the awaiting tray.

"Maybe I do." Eren smiled, glancing around the lounge to make sure the customers looked satisfied. So far, so good.

He was back on his feet in no time, tray sitting on his hand as he maneuvered his way through the tables and delivered the orders correctly. He received happy smiles and compliments by some of the customers, and Eren thanked them even though he wasn't in a mood to feel thankful. But a job is a job, he had to be happy-happy at all times.

Hours came and went, but torturously slowly, and by the time the clock ticked 6:30pm, Eren really _did_ feel like utter shit. Why was summer so cruel?

"Are you sure you can get these drinks to the table without passing out?" Jean teased, but the worry in his voice didn't go unnoticed. They were only two coffee mugs, nothing a waiter couldn't handle.

Eren simply shook his head, "I'm aware of how to walk a straight line, Jean. It's okay."

"Okay?" Jean snapped, "You look like a total wreck. Perhaps you actually do need a day off, just to get that stubborn stick out of your ass."

"Shut it, Horse shit."

It was a bit of a trouble to guide himself to the table, even more so to deliver the order with a smile, but at least everything went smoothly. He didn't trip and fall, didn't pass out or spilt the beverages and Eren, surprisingly, found his way back to the bar with no heavy casualties. Score on, big boy.

Customers decreased in number by now, and not only today but in general as well. Summer always kept most of the people out, usually at the beach, not to mention their fancy beach bars, so Maria's Café lacked the usual loud chatter from customers and heavy duties for the employers, especially right after the month of June.

Eren wasn't exactly complaining about it, he wouldn't like dealing with a big crowd when he was in no mood to work.

It was almost 7 now, and Eren forced a small smile, happy to know that the end of his shift is just around the corner. One more hour, just one and he's out.

_**oOo**_

Everything would've been great, everything would have gone so smoothly and Eren would have left the lounge with a smile, but life decided that _no, _he has to eat more shit than he already had because throwing lemons at him just wasn't enough.

It was only thirty minutes before his shift was over, and Eren could bear those thirty minutes just fine, but the sight of another customer stepping in just made Eren groan in realization, and probably in _fear_ as well. It was Hanji. Yes, that weird energetic woman with the knowing smile and odd looking glasses. That weird woman who creeped the _Hell_ out of him over three weeks ago when he met her and the other guy—Erwin? What is she doing here anyway, out of _all _places?

Eren shivered, but he couldn't fret now as he watched the woman take her seat on table 6, the one a few meters away from the entrance of the Café. He clutched tightly on his notepad nervously.

There was a tight knot in his throat when Eren hesitantly approached her, and he felt rather uncomfortable when she lifted her gaze and looked at him, recognizing him almost immediately.

"Eren!" she beamed, almost standing from her seat but she seemed to think twice and instead squirmed in her chair.

"Hi." Eren greeted awkwardly, and he was about to say something else when Hanji cut him off.

"Woah! You _work_ here?! That's fantastic—I've always wanted to stop by, this place looked amazing from the outside, I always wanted to know what the inside looked like. If I knew you worked here sooner, I'd visit more frequently!"

_No, please don't do that— _"Ah, you're welcomed anytime." Eren smiled, still keeping a distance from the loud ball of energy before him.

"So, Welcome to Maria's Café," Eren greeted, still keeping up his professional act, even though the discomfort was still obvious in his green eyes. "The menu's on the table, I can come back once you've decided o—"

"Tea." Hanji interrupted, "I don't care what kind of tea as long as it's hot, surprise me." She giggled. _Hot tea, huh?_

Eren gulped, but nodded anyway, "Of course, is there anything else?" and he was thankful she shook her head rather than speak. He scrambled over to the bar, avoiding Hanji's gaze.

Jean, who noticed the little scene, lifted a brow at the waiter, still unconsciously drying a glass he washed earlier.

"I take it you know that woman?"

"Not quite," Eren shook his head, "We met a few weeks ago. She's the true definition of weird."

"She ordered anything fancy?"

"No, just tea." Eren sighed, "Uhm, make her some, uh, Green Tea."

"She didn't tell you what tea she wanted?" Jean asked, a little confused.

"Told me to surprise her."

"You want to surprise her with _Green Tea_? Gee, Eren, you're creative."

"Just make the damn tea!" Eren groaned, rolling his eyes, but Jean just brushes it off with a chuckle.

"Yes, Sir."

_**oOo**_

"So how are you holding up, kiddo?" Hanji grinned, toying with the cup of tea in her hands that Eren brought her. She didn't seem to be drinking it at all, but Eren couldn't care less.

"Fine, I guess. Too hot to work properly today, though." Eren nodded, glancing down at his wrist watch and thanking the Heavens his shift would be over in less than five minutes. All he had to do was wait for Krista to take his place.

What was he doing standing right beside the table where Hanji sat, however, he had no idea. It's not like Hanji wanted anything else, despite the chit chat, nor do any other customers need his services for him to tend to them instead. Maybe it was the way Hanji kept him close by never keeping her mouth shut, but who's to know these days?

"Hey, Eren!" Hanji disrupted his thoughts, "Did I really scare you back then, when we met?"

Eren blinked, "Uh, not really." He lied.

"Are you sure? Maybe Erwin's the one who scared you then? He does look scary, 'cause he's all tall and muscles, but I assure you he's a good man!" she laughed, finally taking a sip of her tea, sighing happily as she did.

"Erwin did seem like a nice guy." Eren nodded, but avoided adding the phrase '_but you're fucking weird though'_.

"He is, he is. At least he's not much of an insufferable asshole like Levi—that guy is a four feet tall grump full of temper! He—"

"Excuse me?" Eren interrupted with a voice too loud, obviously not hearing right.

There was a pause in which Eren realized he stopped breathing, and his pure green eyes stared blankly down at an oblivious Hanji. Did she just—?

"Who?" Eren strained with a gulp, the knot in his throat was back and tighter than ever.

Hanji blinked, "Levi?" she was ready to speak again, but then her eyes widened in realization and she clasped a hand over her mouth.

"You _know_ him?" Hanji questioned, a sudden seriousness enveloping her usually bright eyes and they darkened in color as she leant forward from her seat as if to take a better look at Eren's shocked expression, studying his reactions.

"You _do_—Eren, you know him? Tell me." She wasn't asking, it was more of a demand. Unconsciously, Eren shook his head, suddenly feeling a little too self-conscious over the presence of another person that _knew_ about Levi.

His lips parted and he took a breath in, trying to form words, but a sweet voice from behind him disrupted his stuttering speech.

"Eren!" Krista called and approached the waiter, waking him up with a poke on his shoulder.

"Huh? Oh, Kris." He nodded, "Your shift's starting now?" he sounded off, a little too tired, not convincing at all.

"Duh! Mine's starting and yours finished _long_ ago. What're you still doing here?" she giggled. She appeared to be oblivious to the way Eren's eyes remained blank and unsteady.

"Oh, nothing. I'll leave right now, thanks. Work hard." Eren muttered hastily, quickly turning to walk away and ignoring Hanji's worried calls, almost missing Krista's last words of '_Good work today, too!_'. He just wanted to get the _Hell_ out of there, away from _her_. And that's exactly what he did.

_**oOo**_

He was practically jogging his way back home, like literally trying to run away from something _bad_ that was about to happen. His sixth sense was tingling vigorously, it was too strong to ignore. Eren didn't had the guts to look back either, it was unnerving to think that Hanji might be following from behind. He hoped to Gods that she wasn't, or Eren might lose it.

As hot air filled his lungs, Eren gasped as he dared not to slow his pace down, still obviously freaked out by the fact that Hanji _knows_ Levi, that she _knows_ now that Eren's well aware of Levi, too. For all he knew, Hanji could be a blood sucking creature as well. It was an uncomfortable piece of information to grab a hold of, about the fact that there are _others(_who knows how many!)that lurk around and are the same as Levi and Hanji—whatever their species is called. Being aware of that caused Eren to shiver, despite the summer heat.

With a light shake of his head, Eren turned around a corner and kept jogging, his legs were numb by now but he couldn't bring himself to stop. His thoughts strayed somewhere else.

It had been over two weeks since he last saw Levi, over two weeks since they.. Well, _did_ things. And now he's gone again with nothing left behind but another silly note folded neatly under a small plate with sliced fruits.

'_I'll be back, I promise.' _Is what the note said, followed by the signature of his name. It disappointed Eren, honestly. It was too soon for Levi to leave when Eren was left behind with a hundred and one questions hanging from his lips. He should have been used to it by now, but every time it happened, Eren couldn't simply control the tightness in his chest caused by the absence of a certain someone.

And now, Hanji. He has only seen her three times and it didn't take two minutes to know that this woman was _crazy_. Or at least, she had the talent of making people feel really uncomfortable by the way she invades their personal space, not _only_ physically but verbally as well, with such an eccentric voice combined with the choice of her words. Whoever she was and whatever she wanted, Eren didn't want to find out.

Of course he didn't.

But by the time his eyes caught the building complex where the safety of his apartment was, right across the street, Eren was suddenly, and quite violently, pulled to the side. His arm was caught by an iron grip, and his heart skipped in fear when he was pulled away from the side walk so quickly, everything was a blur for a second. His arm hurt from the violent tug, and he didn't even know he was lifted in the air and shoved against a concrete wall until he was forced to open his eyes, unaware of when he'd closed them painfully tight. He didn't know where he was dragged away, but it was obviously out of sight from the public eye.

There were a pair of hands, manhandling the front of his shirt to keep his feet a few inches off the ground, and Eren's arms flew up on instinct, trying to set himself free from the choking grip. He was met by a pair of black glasses and observant eyes. _Red_ fucking eyes.

"_Eren_." Hanji smiled, "Why would you run away from me?"

Eren could do nothing but choke and grit his teeth, uselessly swinging his legs in the air. But Hanji seemed patient enough from the lack of his response, tightening her grip around the fabric of his shirt, listening as the clothing begun to rip, ever so lightly, and it was a ringing pain in Eren's ears.

What _is_ it with these blood sucking beings and _ripping_ clothes, anyway?! Eren will _definitely_ run out of things to wear if this went on.

"I just wanted to ask a few questions, no need to be shy!" Hanji said, and she sounded rather reassuring, despite her deadly grip. Her eyes sparkled intensely red, and she leant closer when she cracked another smile.

"Now, will you tell me? You know Levi, right? You know where he is, yes?" she asked enthusiastically. She seemed to ignore how Eren couldn't even _answer_ to her questions, seeing as his air pipe was almost crushed by the pressure of her white knuckles digging into his throat.

_What does she want from Levi?_

Feeling suffocated and heavily restraint, Eren squinted his eyes at Hanji, trying to glare at her with whatever might was left in him to struggle out of her grip. His own hands covered hers, and his nails dug painfully into her skin, and although she didn't seem to falter, she laughed at his attempts of resisting.

"If you must know, I hate to torture your kind," Hanji mumbled, "But you give me no choice if you aren't going to tell me what I want."

Eren's mouth open and closed, choked gasps escaping his lips as he tried to speak, baring his teeth at her when he tried threatening her with an intimidating gaze—or at least, as intimidating as he could manage in his situation.

"Ah! Are you ready to speak?" Hanji beamed, "Okay, okay! I will slowly release you, and you can finally answer my—_Guh_!"

Everything happened so fast and whatever it was that happened, Eren was quite _fucking_ thankful for it. He was suddenly released by the animalistic grip, sliding down the wall and falling onto his knees weakly. From above, he heard a disgusting thud and a painful howl that came from Hanji. She sounded hurt.

But Eren couldn't look up, not with the way he coughed and spluttered, gulping air in his lungs. The oxygen _burned_ in his chest, and it felt good to breathe properly again.

"Stupid, useless _shitty glasses!_" Eren heard someone spat, voice dipped in anger. Even if he was sprawled down against the wall, the brunette didn't have to look up to recognize that voice, to know to whom it belonged to.

"The _fuck_ do you think you were doing?!" another pained cry, mixed with a growl. _What the Hell was going on?_

"L.." Eren tried in a whisper, throat still hurting, "L-..vi…" he couldn't see anything, and frankly, Eren didn't want to. His eyelids grew heavy and his head was so light, it was difficult to even _want_ to know what was happening.

There were voices at the back of his head, some struggled, others raised but Eren didn't know just how many they were. The noises were drowned out by the sound of footsteps, perhaps, or something tapping against concrete.

He passed out, _maybe._ He didn't know. It felt as though he kept drifting in and out of consciousness, unmindful if what he saw when he opened his eyes was a dream or reality. He didn't know which one was better, which was worse. He didn't care.

_**oOo**_

When he woke up, he found himself in his room, curled up on his bed.

Whether everything he experienced was a dream or not, Eren couldn't fathom. He coughed into his hands, felt his throat still quite sore as he sat up from his bed and searched through his dim lit room with squinted, tired eyes. He was alone.

The door leading to the living room was left ajar, Eren noted, and the angry numbers of the clock on his nightstand read _1:48am. _He realized then, he was out for a long while.

Beside the clock was a glass of water which Eren gulped down in one go. Upon setting the empty glass back down, he heard noise coming from the living room next door. Voices. They've been there since the time he awoke, but he didn't give it much attention until now. Hushed whispers and low mumbles rang throughout the little hallway and into Eren's bedroom, it was hard not to concentrate on them.

The decision to get up from his bed and exit his room to investigate was quick.

His bare feet tapped lightly against the wooden floorboards, and it took him a few steps before reaching the living room, catching three figures sitting on his couch facing away from him, all gathered in the dark room. There was a small candle on the coffee table, producing little bit of light that casted shadows across the walls, and Eren couldn't help but glance at them, if only for a second.

He blinked, recognizing all three people just by staring at the back of their heads. Erwin, Hanji(Eren shivered when he saw her ponytail), and.. Levi. They didn't seem to have noticed the brunette standing in the corner of the room, and as they chattered away, Eren glanced down at the jackets they all wore. Even Levi wore one.

_Those wings.. He wore them, too._

He wanted to reach out, feel the fabric of the jacket on his fingers, touch those wings that seem to quiver with every movement. The thought almost made his breath hitch, and he didn't realize he was taking a step further into the room wh—

"Eren!" suddenly, Levi's eyes are on him, an expression twisted in concern as he abruptly sat up.

The other two turned their attention to him, Hanji daring to smile up at him as though she had no bad intentions of choking him to death a few hours ago.

Eren frowned, "Levi..?" he tested, his voice cracked.

"You see? He's fine, I told you." Hanji said with a cheeky grin. Levi glared at her.

"Can it, four eyes. I've had enough of your bullshit today."

Levi's statement seemed to have a negative effect on Hanji, and she visibly pouted, hanging her head low. Levi approached him, placing his hands on Eren's shoulders in a solid grip, but not tightly.

"Are you okay?" Levi whispered, and Eren could only nod, pushing away the urge to bring his arms up and take the other man into a squeezing hug.

He couldn't do that, not in front of the strangers, not with his lack of energy. Besides, there were other things he'd rather do. Like, ask questions.

"What is going on here?" Eren asked, sending a worried glance at the other two still sitting on his couch.

From behind them, Erwin stood up, clearing his throat to grab everyone's attention, especially Levi's.

"I cannot believe we'd ever meet again, Eren. At least, not this way." Erwin said honestly, "I thought nothing of you when we bumped into each other, however I did notice your strange scent. It awfully reminded me of something."

"Wait, you two already _know _each other?" Levi's eyebrow was raised.

Eren shook his head, "Uhm, it was kind of an accident." Erwin agreed with a nod.

"Scratch that!" Hanji beamed from where she sat, causing Eren to flinch. "How are you able to still _live_ after feeding Levi so many times?! It's impressive—This is good information for my research!"

She ignored Levi's click of his tongue when she continued, "By the way, I am _so_ sorry for almost killing you back there," a giggling pause, "But you must realized I had to do it! Levi's been missing for over a year, we had to find him!"

Missing? For over _a year_? Levi belonged somewhere? Eren's frowned never softened. He shrugged Levi's hands off of his shoulders, taking a determined step forward. He's given himself as meat for too long, he's permitted to know what the Hell was going on at least, right?

"What do you mean? I need to know."

"Eren, wait." Levi said, stepping beside him, "We can't just _tell_ you—"

"If _you_ won't tell him," Erwin cut him off, "Then _we_ will. You already dragged him down this far, he might as well know the rest."

"Tch, it's too fucking risky, Eyebrows." Levi spat.

"The boy seems determined enough," Erwin nodded at Eren, "I believe he'll take his chances."

Hanji grinned, standing up to approach Eren, who took an awkward step back.

"Yes, _yes_, let's tell him already." She agreed, "You can ask us anything you want and in return, I get to ask you questions, too, okay?"

Eren blinked rapidly, chancing a small glance at Levi, who appeared indifferent by the woman's energetic antics, but still cautious enough if she did anything stupid. "U-uhm, okay?"

Sensing Eren's discomfort for being too close, Hanji stepped back with a chuckle. "Ah, sorry! Some of us _Irregulars _tend to be very curious when it comes to humans."

Irregulars, huh?

"Is that, uh, how you call yourselves?" Eren blinked, and to his surprise, all three of them nodded. Well at least he knows now, and he saved himself the embarrassment of calling them something silly, like _vampires_.

Levi pushed Hanji out of view, casually holding Eren's hand, squeezing cautiously. "Eren."

"H-huh?" Eren's heart skipped, "Yes?"

"Are you sure you want to know?" there was something strange with the way he said it, with so much _concern_ even though he tried to hide it with a stern voice. "You might not like it." He added.

Everyone gathered around him, and Eren felt so vulnerable under their anticipating gazes. He was nothing but a sheep surrounded by wolves, how could he not gulp by the thought?

But he couldn't back down now, it was too late for that. "I don't have to like it, Levi." Eren started. He was oddly confident for someone who had no idea what he was getting into. Such a quality was both a blessing and a curse.

"I want to know." He says firmly, "I _need_ to know."

For a second, the Irregulars(Eren should really get used to that word) glanced at one another in thought. It was as if they were communicating telepathically when they nodded at each other, all appearing so _sure _of something. And suddenly, all pairs of eyes were on Jaeger.

"Eren," Erwin called, "We'll be frank with you. We'll tell you enough, but not everything. I hope you understand. We're willing to share information, but we're still wary of you."

The brunette frowns at this, but remains silent. What did Erwin mean? Clearly Eren was no threat in the whole group. If anything, he was the exact _opposite_.

"Please, take a seat. It's going to be a long night."

Hanji sits back to where she previously was on the couch, followed by Erwin and Levi. Cautiously, Eren does the same, taking a sit right beside Levi and awkwardly avoiding eye contact with anyone.

"Is anyone hungry?" Hanji grinned, and she amusingly watched as Eren visibly squirmed at the uncomfortable question.

"Hanji, please, not now." Erwin warned.

"Fuck off, four eyes."

"But his reactions interests me! I was never able to study the human body in such a away." Hanji complained.

Eren speechlessly watched as Hanji and Levi bickered.

Everything should've been great, Eren should have left the Café today with a smile and all would have been good. But instead, none of that happened; he was nearly choked to death, passed out and woke up here to three _Irregulars_. He knew how dangerous Levi can be, there was no doubt the other two were the same.

That knot in his throat was, once again, back.

"You're in danger, Eren." Erwin disrupted Hanji's and Levi's argument, and his voice cut through the air, sharp and dripping with warning. Eren's reaction was immediate, his eyes widened in both shock and fear as he gasped, and his body acted on its own when he scooted on the couch, further away from all three of them. Danger? Why was he in danger?

Levi growled, and there was a hint of worry in his voice, "Erwin. Don't you dare go the—"

"_Someone wants you dead._"

The room fell silent, and the candlelight flickered, causing the image of their shadows to waver on the walls behind them.

Eren froze, blood running cold at Erwin's words. When Levi snapped and yelled curses, Eren didn't hear him—_couldn't_ hear their argument. Their voices were drowned out at the back of Eren's ears, left unheard like an incoherent language. He couldn't hear anything else when his thoughts were _louder_.

This can't be happening, right? It must be a joke, a bad nightmare. Eren was nothing of importance, he was just a young man waiting tables in exchange for a good meal. Compared to other people that actually mattered, Eren was nothing special, with no skill that promised a bright future, or talent that made him great at anything that would reward him with a good reputation. He had nothing to offer. So, why was he in danger? Why was he wanted?

_No_, Eren was nothing, nothing at all. He was nothing special, not of any importance, nothing, nothing but still—

_Someone wants him dead._

* * *

><p><strong>I tried to write something long, and I came up with this. I read it, like, a hundred times and I <strong>_**still**_** feel like something's missing. Man, I don't know—I'm not entirely satisfied with this chapter. *cries***

**However, I hope it was still enjoyable to read without it being too tiring. Hopefully I do better next time.**

**Reviews are welcomed.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Beware for the amount of dialogue on this one. They're pretty important so I couldn't skip any. This is literally just a chapter full of intense conversation on a damn ****couch****, among other things.**

**Enjoy.**

* * *

><p><em>Chapter 10.<em>

They talked to him, told him things, _many _things. Maybe not everything, but _enough_, just as promised; about the Irregulars, their way of life, the existence of their small colonies spread about the world. About why their identities are hidden from humans, why they both exist and not at all at the same time. About why Eren needed to be killed.

"..What?" Eren nearly choked.

"You heard me," Hanji grinned, "It is forbidden for an Irregular to keep a friendly contact with a human. Once you've been found out, you're killed. As for the Irregular themselves? The punishment always depends; what kind of relationship do they keep with the humans, how attached they are, for how long. And all the like."

"B-but why?" Eren gulped uneasily, "What does their relationship have to do with anyone? There's noth—"

"It's taboo," Erwin cut him off, "Having any kind of contact with humans besides food is prohibited. We need nothing from you humans other than your blood, and a lot of us would like to keep it that way—else there's an unbalance."

"But just because it's _taboo_, doesn't mean that some won't try it. In fact, it sometimes _encourages_ a few to try. The experience apparently is quite exciting." Hanji laughed, eyeing Levi knowingly with a smirk, "I never thought you'd be the type to taste forbidden fruit however, Captain."

.._Captain?_

"Don't call me that." Levi snapped, cringing at his given title. Eren was lost, trying to let everything sink in, slowly but surely. He'd let the title slip for now, figuring to ask about that at another time.

There was nothing but silence for as long as it could stretch, leaving Eren to wonder in his thoughts that seemed to confuse him all the more he thought about them, as if he were solving mathematical equations he's never encountered before.

He visibly fidgeted on the couch he sat on, eyes wavering from one object to another, but not towards the three others inside the living room. The candle flickered once more.

It didn't take long until he, once again, started to speak. "Why?" he muttered, "Why would a bond between a human and an Irregular would matter so much? To any of us?"

A sigh could be heard next to him, "Who knows? Lots of reasons." Hanji said, and she sounded disappointed. "But mostly for protection. How do you think we managed to survive this long?"

"What do you mean?" Eren's eyes snapped at Hanji, and he nearly flinched when she sat up from her seat.

"Oh, Eren! Can I ask you a very simple question?" she peered at him through her thick glasses, stepping forth and bending down to his level, hands on her hips.

Eren was uneasy, "S-sure."

"Do you know when—_why_ did humans start to believe in 'vampires'? Why'd they suddenly think that such _supernatural _creatures, out of the blue, exist and walk on their grounds? Was it mere creativity to initiate such ideas and make stories out of them? Was it imagination that led humans to believe that, perhaps, blood could be.. Quite _appealing_ to one's belly?"

"I—I, uhm—" he said nothing, and really, what could he say to that?

"No, none of that. It was mere stupidity, false attachments between Irregulars and humans." Hanji completed, "It's _because_ some of us announced our presence that the humans started this.. _cult_. They even gave us a name." she ended it with a sarcastic chuckle that obviously ridiculed the humans' taste on giving them names, like _vampires_. Straightening herself up, she flicked her hair to the side.

"It's rather simple," Erwin added, "If everyone knows, everyone talks. We're dangerous, Eren, and it doesn't take much for one to understand that. Humans are our food source, and they'll fight to be _anything_ but that, if they know."

"You humans _love_ to be at the top, you see?" Hanji grinned madly, eyes sparkling, "Being on the top of the food chain is no exception. You want to eat, but not be eaten. Irregulars are here for the latter."

"We mentioned about colonies belonging to our people," it was Levi's turn to speak, "But they are very few, the population's small—unlike you shitty Humans taking over the damn world. You'd think we could live peacefully amongst you people if we all try holding hands, or whatever cheesy shit like that, but it's not that easy when we go berserk for food. I'm pretty sure Humans won't like the idea of sharing.. _food_ with us any time soon."

Eren gasped, inertly bewildered by Levi's way of explaining. Even so, some things started to make sense to him, in a way. About why their _species_ is such a secrecy, why they can't poke their heads out on the surface without fear.

It was just like Erwin said. If people know, they talk. If they talk, even more people will be aware about the fact that there are _creatures_ out there that would love to tear Humans apart just for a glass of blood. When and _if_ that's known to the world, Humans will settle this in the most beneficial way; War. Kill, wipe the Irregulars out, not one should escape, make sure they never feed, make sure they never _survive._

In a way, wiping out a whole species like that, it was _scary_ and dark. Even more scary than giving a bit of blood every once in a while for the sake of survival. For a second, Eren thought that maybe, _just maybe_, the real monsters weren't really the Irregulars, but Humans.

A shiver threatened to crawl up Eren's spine at the information he was given in less than a couple of hours. It seemed now that life is more complicated than he thought, especially when he's involved in the lives of two opposite worlds, worlds that are far too alike and far too different.

"Eren, do you understand now?" Erwin removed the other from his thoughts.

Jaeger nodded, gulping in response. "Irregulars need me dead for having some sort of attachment with.. Levi. I—I understand." It was scary, but it made _sense_, and Eren truly understood that. If he ever were to reveal Levi's true identity to the public, anyone could be powerful if they used that information right.

"You make it sound like it's the end of the world, shitty brat."

Hanji dared a friendly slap on Levi's shoulder as she let out a laugh. "Ah, but Levi, weren't you the one who started it? The boy's got nothing to do with us, and yet you dragged him here!"

"Fuck you, Hanji, it's not your business." Levi's arms were strictly folded over his chest, his fingers gripping tightly on the sleeves of his jacket in visible annoyance.

"Hanji's right." Erwin pressed, turning to face Levi with a stern look. "I do not know what your intentions are with this boy, Levi, but please be careful."

"I am fully aware of the dangers for crossing the fucking line, thank you very much." Levi returned, discreetly eyeing Eren beside him. The brunette could feel his stare burning onto him, lightly reddening his cheeks.

Eren took the silence as a chance to speak up. He wanted to know more, needed to get whatever he can take.

"U-uhm.. Were you guys sent here to kill me, then?" he was addressing both Erwin and Hanji, and this felt like an important question, but Eren wondered if he chose the wrong words when he felt intense gazes studying him.

Hanji replied first, "Oh? Are you worried, _Eren_?" she smiled, "You see, even though we know the consequences if we perform this so called _taboo_, we're the kind of Irregulars who care less about them."

"We aren't here to kill you, Eren. You've done nothing wrong," Erwin nodded, "And we're not _hungry_." Eren shuddered at the last word.

"Haha, you're scaring him!" Hanji laughed. Levi cussed.

"A-as long as I know you aren't here to kill me, I think it's fine, right?" Eren hoped out loud, still unconsciously shying away from them, seeming to melt at the corner of the couch.

He received a light pat on his shoulder from Hanji, "Yes, yes! We wouldn't do such a thing!" it was funny, coming from the person who actually _nearly_ killed him, ironic even.

"It would've pissed Levi off if we did, anyway. I got the shit beaten out of me when I tried." She grinned, looking rather proud of her actions.

"Do something like that again and beating you to shit would be an understatement, fucking glasses." Levi threatened, but this only made Hanji laugh more.

"Alright, I believe we should take a break, give Eren a little time to.. Get used to things." Erwin suggested, and everyone agreed with a light nod.

Eren fumbled with the hem of his shirt for a second, but abruptly stood up from the couch, head hanging low. "I—uhm, I'll be in my room."

He stormed out of the living room, ignoring Levi's calls. The candlelight mysteriously blows out, leaving the rest in the dark.

_**oOo**_

They don't say anything else that night, and Erwin ended their _'meeting'_ by greeting Levi goodbye and walking out the door, dragging Hanji with him by the arm and ignoring her complaints of not getting a chance to ask _important_ questions to Eren. She'll have plenty of time for that much later, she was promised.

"We'll stick around, keep in touch." Erwin smiled outside the door, meeting Levi's disinterested gaze.

"Howl if you need anything, shorty!" Hanji sing sang, releasing herself from her companion's grip and adjusting her jacket over her shoulders.

Levi nodded, "You better fucking lay low." And then gently pushed the door close.

When the silence returned, Levi glared daggers at the door in front of him, as if whatever bothered and angered him was taken out at the object in quiet rage. He pulled himself together with a shaky sigh, running his fingers through his undercut.

After this long, Eren finally earns the privilege to get to know everything, and Levi feels a little insecure. It's not like he shares such things to the world on a daily basis, they're kept a secret for a _reason_, and although Levi trusts Eren enough to keep a few secrets, Levi can't help but feel just a tad bit worried. Just a little. Perhaps not because Eren might say anything to anyone(he'd be dead if he tried, honestly), but because this kind of thing will definitely change the brat's perspective on things, thus altering the relationship they slowly built over these past months.

Levi is an honest man, he admits that he doesn't want to lose that, and he curses himself under his breath for realizing how hard he'd fallen for a fucking _brat_, not to mention a _human brat._

He was quick to decide that staring at a door wouldn't get him anywhere, and so he spun around, walked down the hall and reached Eren's room.

His door was left wide open, and through the opening, the Irregular's eyes catches the brown mop of hair on the bed at the side of the room. The open window brings in the moonlight that casts over the white sheets covering his body as he curled himself up and cuddled with a pillow. Levi sighs once more, shrugging his jacket off and stepping into the bedroom, stopping right by the edge of the bed and placing his jacket on Eren's nightstand.

The brunette flinches at the sound behind him, pulling up the white covers even more tightly over his tired figure.

"Y-you, uh, should have left with them," Eren mutters against his pillow, causing Levi's eyebrow to arch up.

"Why would I do that?" Levi asked, daring to sit on the bed, facing away from the other.

"We're both in danger if you're here, right?"

"Eren."

"Unless you're hungry, I can feed you before you go."

"Eren.."

"It's okay, I understand. It's too risky if someone sees us together, so—"

"_Eren._" Levi interrupted through gritted teeth, twisting around to face Eren. His voice dipped alarmingly low.

"Are you even listening to yourself?" he started, slowly trying to tug the sheets off from Eren, but the brat's grip was tight around them.

"Do you even know what you're saying to me?"

"But you guys already said it was dangerous!" Eren countered, unwilling to let go of the sheets, "What's the point for risking our lives because you refused to—!"

Suddenly, Levi was on top of him, yanking the younger man's hands up easily, and the covers uselessly slide down his chest.

"_No one's_ in danger,_ no one_'s coming to get either you, or me. So, get your fucking shit together, shut the fuck up and _listen_." He snapped, growling in the process, and the sound vibrates through Eren with a visible shudder.

Eren anxiously bites his lip, but nods.

"You think I didn't fucking know that it was dangerous? This isn't a kid's game, _Jaeger_," Eren shivers again, "I know the risks, the consequences—I've been keeping your sorry ass alive ever since this whole shitstorm started _because_ I was away from you."

Eren blinks. "Huh?"

"If I wasn't so careful, you'd already be dead from the first _month_. I fucking made sure you stayed safe by keeping my distance, only coming around to feed—I've literally _killed_ my own kind to keep them the _Hell_ away from you. Jesus fucking Christ, _Eren."_

"Y-you, what!" Eren gasped, shocked at the discovery. "When did this happen?"

"The day I went all Hulk and berserk and borrowed your clothes. For the whole day, I fucking gave off a shitty _human_ smell—" _Eren's smell_ "—and attracted these bastards. They followed me fucking _everywhere,_ I had to get rid of them before I got to you." It was a very short description, one that didn't cover much.

But Levi killed other Irregulars to keep Eren safe. He _killed_, and Eren couldn't stop his body from shaking. Details. Eren didn't want to know the details, whatever Levi had told him about his recent kill—he wanted no part of it. He tried tugging away his hands from Levi's grip, but before even protesting, Levi speaks up.

"And when we stupid idiots grow this sort of girly _bond_, fuck on this bed like animals and strengthen whatever bullshit we have between us, you suddenly play some crap and try to push me the fuck away. I don't appreciate that, brat."

"B-but, the—"

"I don't _care_ about the risks, damn it!" Levi hisses, his fingers digging in Eren's wrists, but not painfully.

"I care about _you._ Shit, how fucking oblivious can you be before it's considered illegal?"

And then Eren pauses, mouth agape and his forest green eyes are trembling and wide. He stares into Levi's own red orbs, because fuck, they're so solidly honest with the way Levi frowns and grits his teeth, it's hard to detect some sort of _lie_.

But he's not lying. He was not lying, and Eren forgot that Levi _killed._ He finally stopped his half-hearted struggling.

"You…" Eren breathed, "Really..?"

When Levi frowned, it was almost uncertainty, but the expression left as quickly as it came.

"Why would I fucking lie?"

Eren doesn't respond to that, and his teeth lightly drag over his bottom lip.

His eyes waver away when he cranes his neck to the side, catching the khaki jacket atop his nightstand, focusing on the majestic crest sewn perfectly at the back. He thought about how those wings made little sense to him, especially since he didn't know the meaning behind them.

Levi catches his stare, and he looks at the same direction, straightening himself and letting Eren's wrists go.

"Wings of Freedom." The older man finally muttered, and there was something nostalgic about the way he said it. When Eren kept quiet, Levi continued.

"Nothing shackles us to the ground, and although we cannot fly, these wings will weightlessly still carry us." He quoted, blankly staring at the jacket. Eren's eyebrows were knitted together, trying to piece every word to sense, though he found it difficult.

"Don't try to understand it," Levi said, "You don't need to." He exhaled tiredly, and with that, he got up from the bed, dusted off the imaginary dust from his shirt and grabbed on his jacket.

"I'll leave if you feel so uncomfortable." But that is all he could say before he felt Eren's hand curling over his hesitantly. The brat seemed embarrassed with the way he faced away, a pink hue dusting his tan cheeks, visible even in the dark.

"You don't have to go after all." He said, "Keep me safe right here." It was a willing invitation, one that Levi couldn't refuse and he set his jacket back down, lacing his own fingers protectively around Eren's.

"Okay." Levi whispered.

"Okay." Eren repeated, letting the man go and awkwardly shifting on his bed. He watched as Levi kicked his shoes off and stripped from his clothes, leaving only his boxers on but still baring his body with no embarrassment as he neatly rested his folded clothes over his jacket, covering those Wings.

The brunette drinks in the sight with a curious glimpse, but only for a moment. He flushed, scooted further into the bed and waited with a red face for Levi to join him.

The mattress beside him dips, and Eren brings the covers over his shoulders when Levi tugs him closer by his waist.

"Are.. You sure this is okay?" Eren whispered, feeling Levi's warm breaths ghost over his nape and his strong arm over his stomach.

"You mean it's okay to fuck you, but not cuddle you?" Levi sounded unimpressed, "You're not cute at all."

"I didn't mean that!" Eren hissed shyly, "I just…"

"It's _okay_, Eren."

His breath grew warmer upon his nape as Levi mumbled his name, Eren couldn't stop the shiver hitting him.

The silence was short lived. "Why did she call you Captain?" Eren surprised himself with the question, and behind him Levi stiffens, causing Eren to regret he ever asked. Hanji seemed so pleased to call him by his _title_, but Levi looked so disturbed upon hearing it. Eren shouldn't have said anything.

"No, I shouldn't have asked," Eren tried, "I'm sorry." And he covered his hand over Levi's laid around his waist.

"That was a long time ago." It was nothing but a whisper, but his pause stretched far too long, "I.. Led a group of men to hunt our corrupted." Levi explained, nose burying in a mop of messy brown hair.

"Corrupted Irregulars who did the same things I'm currently doing with you." Those words stung, like angry hornets swarming around Eren's chest, but he says nothing for Levi to continue.

"I was scared once, too. Blinded. I thought of how wrong it was for two different worlds to come together peacefully—I wanted to destroy that bond." Levi's fingers lazily caressed Eren's side, "Along with my men, we've killed plenty in our lives, both Irregulars and Humans, trying to protect what we believed about what was wrong and what was right."

There was a long pause, and Eren knew Levi hesitated to continue.

"..What happened?" Eren encouraged in a whisper, glancing behind him.

"A lot of shit," sighed Levi, "A lot of mistakes, a lot of bad turns for as long as we could take it. It came to a point where we cared less about who or what we were killing as long as we _killed_. Before we knew it, _we_ were the ones corrupting. As I said, we were blinded, scared."

"What changed?" Eren asked with the same tiny voice, focusing on Levi's even breathing against his skin, his playful fingers at his sides.

"I met Erwin and Hanji. They changed me, they changed _us_." Levi returned, "Me, Auruo, Petra, Erd, Gunther.. We changed." He was referring to the group he led that hunted people down, and hearing foreign names caused Eren to frown lightly. He inertly wondered what kind of people they were. What kind of Irregulars they became after they changed.

"I guess it wasn't much of a change, though, if you ask me. It was more like finally opening our eyes, getting rid of whatever monster was caged inside of us before it consumed us."

"I'm guessing that worked pretty well?" Eren said with a weak smile, and he felt Levi's huff against the side of his neck, almost as if he were seconds away from laughing.

"You're still alive, aren't you?" Levi responded with another caress over Eren's waist, down to his stomach. Eren wiggled and snorted, and then the silence was back, save for Eren's shaky sighs as Levi caressed wherever his hand could reach though not going any further than that.

"Thank you," Eren mutters a while later, turning and twisting his body around to face the Irregular with sleepy eyes, "Thank you.. For telling me."

Levi thanked how dark the room was at that moment, for there was a faint pink hue that covered his cheeks when Eren spoke.

It was a really sensitive subject, Eren felt more than honored, special even, to have known something more about Levi. It might've not have been the best of stories, but it was these kind of pieces that Eren slowly understood how life made Levi so.. well, _Levi_.

With yet another sigh, Levi leant forward, attaching their lips for a slow kiss. They were both tired so there was no aggression involved when their tongues explored, but it wasn't lazy either. Eren keened against the other man's lips, lightly touching his fingertips on Levi's cheek, wanting to go a little further. But Levi was the first to part with a small gasp, planting an innocent kiss on Eren's forehead.

"As much as I would like to fool around with you, I'd rather you rest," Levi said, a little breathless, "It's late, Eren. Get some sleep."

Though stubborn, Eren knew Levi was right and the brunette exhales loudly in agreement, "Fiiine," he stole a last peck on Levi's lips before shifting comfortably into the man's arms.

"Goodnight, Levi." The younger one mumbles, already drifting off to sleep, and Levi would lie if he said that Eren's sleeping face wasn't adorable. His nose finally picked up Eren's scent, something sweet like honey, something like _home_. Levi would've smiled if he wasn't so tired.

Eventually, he drifted off to sleep as well.

_Goodnight._

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><p><strong>Ah! Writer's block, we meet again. Oh, how much I've missed you(not). Please, go away.<strong>

**I've said this before, and I'll say it again: Thanks to ****everyone****who faved/reviewed/followed this story so far! This means so much to me, and even though I'm recently late on updates, your support fuels my motivation to keep going, and makes my heart go doki doki. So, thanks.**

**Reviews are welcomed.**


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